


System Instability Detected

by Make__Shift



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Androids, Angst and Tragedy, Come Eating, Cunnilingus, Desk Sex, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Hank is a Good Dad, Robot Sex, Robot/Human Relationships, Robots, Slow Burn, Spoilers, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-15 09:22:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 24,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14787812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Make__Shift/pseuds/Make__Shift
Summary: Reader is a detective at Hank's precinct. Rumor has it they're keeping an android in the basement. Curiosity gets the better of her, and soon she finds any excuse to 'visit'. Connor picks up on it and decides to ask her about it. Slightly cannon divergent. Will contain spoilers!!!!I just want Connor to get some love tbh





	1. First Contact

The steady rain outside did little to help your concentration. The constant beat against the glass had held your attention for the better part of your lunch break. You might have considered how strange you must have looked, staring unfocused over the top of your computer monitor at the window, had you not been so utterly distracted.

 

The sudden thunk of a cardboard box hitting your desk broke you from your reverie. You snapped your head up to see Gavin glowering down at you.

 

"Y/n- hard at work or hardly working?"

 

You tried to keep your eyes from rolling back. You really weren't ready to face Gavin yet again.

 

"Just finished a massive Red Ice bust." He leaned his hip against your desk, arms folded over his chest confidently. "Captain needs you to take these down to evidence- unless you've got something better to do." He seemed all too happy to disturb you; his usual shit-eating grin was plastered across his features.

 

One of these days, someone was going to smack it off of him. You took a deep breath and rolled your shoulders back. Fortunately for him, today was not that day.

 

"Can't you find anyone else? I'm still on my break.” You indicated to your half-eaten sandwich and now-cold coffee.

 

"Hey, ‘s perfect- you take it now, and this way it won't eat into your work-time." He grinned at you, "Two birds, one stone."

 

Your eyelid started to twitch.

 

Rising from your chair, you picked up the bin and stepped out from behind the desk. "How considerate of you." You ground out from between your teeth.

 

He had already turned to leave, calling out over his shoulder, "oh- and don't forget the rest of the bins by Fowler's office!"

 

"The rest?!" You called after him- eyes widening when you saw to which he was referring.

 

So much for your lunch break.

______________________________________________________

 

Storage lockup was a lot more crowded with all the new additions you had brought down. Thankfully, you were able to enlist the help of one of your android 'co-workers, which had cut your time in half.

 

"Do you need any further assistance?" the kind-eyed maintenance android asked you.

 

You smiled, "No- thank you. I would have been at it for hours without your help!"

 

The android nodded slightly towards you, before turning to go back up the stairs. You dusted your hands off and stood up. As you left, you were careful to secure the door behind you with a tug.

 

"Hello, my name is Connor."

 

You blinked, having been completely oblivious to his approach "Um... hi" you offered, lamely.

 

He continued, "I've been sent from Cyberlife to help with the deviant investigation." His soft brown eyes held a mirth to them, different from most of the androids you'd seen around the precinct. The high arch of his brow gave him a wide-eyed boyish look, which contrasted with the faint lines of his forehead. Whoever had designed him seemed to have found the exact combination of earnest youth and dignified experience.

 

"Do you require any assistance?" he offered when you remained tongue-tied.

 

You realized you had been staring, and dropped your gaze for a moment, "No- thank you."

 

A faint smile warmed his features, "Well, if you do need anything, you can find me in my office." You watched as he turned and started towards one of the empty rooms.

 

You frowned for a moment and trailed after him, catching up quickly, "Your office... is in the basement?"

 

"A bit unconventional, I'll agree. But there weren’t any free desks upstairs and I need somewhere where I can work."

 

"They didn't have any space upstairs? Just because you're an android they think it's fine to stick you in the basement?" You started

 

Connor shrugged, "It's not so bad. I don't mind the silence- makes it easier to focus."

 

"That's what I always thought-" you started, "I often come down here to clear my head." You smiled at him, shifting under his gaze. Why did it feel so warm?

 

"Well, I won't keep you any longer, detective." He nodded his head slightly and turned on his heel and into his office.

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

The past few days had been uneventful, save for meeting Connor. He had seemed so much more... enigmatic than the other androids you had met. This was most likely to do with his job description. In the days that followed your meeting, you had asked around the office trying to find out more about him. Most of your co-workers had offered little, clearly wanting nothing to do with the 'plastic' as they had so charmingly put it. From what you could gather, he had recently been working as a hostage negotiator, saving the life of a young girl held at the mercy of a deviant android. You had seen a lot of shit in your career, but you'd never actually had to talk someone down. You wondered how it had all played out- how Connor would have been able to get the deviant to listen and gain its trust. You'd been over the file yourself after hearing about it, and it wasn't pretty. The deviant had ended up falling from the high-rise. Connor had selflessly leapt to grab the girl before she fell too. You had tried to decide if its- _his_ actions were altruistic or just a result of his programming. If he had been a human, would he have still risked his life? You wondered how your decisions would change if you knew your life was replaceable; if there was always another version of you waiting to take over should something happen to you, how would you live your life? Perhaps you'd ask him about it when you saw him next. Which could be fairly soon, given your current predicament.

 

You had left your desk to use the facilities downstairs- they were typically left unused, and after your second morning coffee, you wanted to avoid a line at all costs. Making your way through the bullpen, you walked as naturally as possible, breaking into a light jog when you were finally alone.

 

_Why did I have that second coffee?_

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

You checked your reflection in the mirror as you washed your hands. The reflection under the fluorescent lights was never the most flattering, but you were pleasantly surprised to find your hair looking rather good despite the inclement weather.

You tucked a strand behind your ear before you left, giving yourself an approving look.

 

The automatic door opened with a soft hiss, disturbing the otherwise silent hall. Your shoes clicked against the polished floor tiles as you made your way towards the stairs. Your eyes drifted towards the door of Connor's office and your pace slowed. As you approached, you couldn't resist taking a glance inside- chalk the curiosity up to the job. A good detective was always investigating, after all.

 

You couldn't make out much from the sliver the open door afforded, nor could you hear anything. As usual, the basement was silent except for the low hum of the AC. Realizing you had officially stopped, you decided to knock. If he was inside, he had probably heard you stop outside his door.

 

_That's not stalker-y at all..._

 

Hand in the air, ready to knock, you found the door in front of you swing open. You stepped back slightly, lips parting in surprise.

 

"Hello again, detective. Did you need something?" His pleasant almost-smile tugged at the corners of his eyes.

 

So he had heard you after all.

 

_Damn android super-hearing._

 

"Ah-" you stammered, trying to find the reason for why you were loitering outside his office, when there really wasn't one. Your cheeks felt a little hot and you shifted your weight under his dark eyes. Thankfully your brain jogged and you remembered you had wanted to discus his recent exploits, "I was just coming by to ask you about your latest case- the deviant android that took a hostage."

 

He frowned in slight confusion, "Was something left out of the report? There's really nothing else left t-"

 

"No!" you interjected, "Nothing like that, I just wanted to get your opinion." His confused expression deepened, and when he said nothing, you added, "To hear your first hand account- you know, what you felt and how you chose to handle the situation."

 

"Oh- I see." He seemed to be searching for something, "No one has really asked me anything like that before- except perhaps the handlers at Cyberlife." It was almost comical to see his social interaction protocols click, as he suddenly realized he ought to offer for you to step into the office and out of the doorway.

 

As you stepped into the small room, you tried to inspect the room without being blatantly obvious. The walls were bare- though that came as no surprise. You imagined an objective-driven android would have few needs for aesthetic decoration. From what you had gathered about Connor, he seemed to be the epitome of efficient. His desk appeared to be one taken out of storage, paired with a mismatched chair- clearly also from storage. As he took a seat in it, you could see that it was not quite tall enough for the height of the desk, and therefore gave him the unfortunate impression of a grade-schooler.

 

You tried to hold back a teasing grin.

 

Amid the tired decor, it seemed at least someone had the decency to find him an up-to-date computer. The screen bathed his face in a soft blue light that only seemed to enhance his graceful elegance.

 

You met his gaze as he tilted his head, expression softening, "Was there anything in particular that you wanted me to talk about?"

 

"Not in so many words- more like I wanted to get your experience." You pulled a chair from the corner of the room and sat opposite him. "I'm curious to hear your first-hand story."

 

He sat back slightly in his chair, collecting his thoughts for a passing moment. "When I arrived on the scene, I gathered as much information on the deviant as I could. Unfortunately, Captain Allen was less than accommodating and provided no additional information."

 

"Connor- these are all facts. I've read the report." You paused, hand quickly tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, "Tell me how you felt."

 

He seemed slightly taken aback, "I don't quite... I felt the need to carry out my mission- to protect the girl at all costs."

 

"Was that what you were doing when you dove toward the edge? You could easily have fallen off the roof after the deviant-"

 

He interrupted your interruption, "I had evaluated the risks and found that my actions were warranted, given the situation." He folded his hands in his lap.

 

You pressed, "Weren't you scared?"

 

He blinked, "I don't think that would have been possible. It's not in my programming to feel fear. Technically speaking, I don't feel much of anything."

 

"But surely you have some sort of self-preservation protocols?" You had leaned forward on your chair now.

 

"Well, of course, but like I said, my directive was to protect the girl, at all costs."

 

"So Cyberlife would have you kill yourself to save a human."

 

"If the situation called for it." He gave you a bittersweet smile, "That... is the way things operate. It shouldn't exactly come as a shock to you."

 

You sank back in the chair, "Well, fuck...” you seemed lost for a moment as the reality sunk in, “I mean at the very least, you'd think Cyberlife would be hesitant to lose such a valuable investment." Your gaze snapped to his as you realized how unpalatable that sounded as soon as it left your mouth. If you didn't know better, you could have sworn that Connor flinched ever so slightly.

 

"I- that came out wrong. I didn't mean to imply-"

 

"That's fine. You're not entirely wrong."

 

Your face was feeling hot again, and you cursed under your breath, "You're not just a piece of merchandise."

 

"I'm not sure many people would agree with you on that." He quirked.

 

Connor was leaning back in his chair, quietly observing you. His intense gaze fixed you in front of him, and beneath it you found your pulse thrumming faster. You weren't quite sure what exactly it was about him that had you so transfixed. Though, to be fair, you had never held many conversations with androids, despite your best intentions, and therefore had nothing to compare this to.

 

However, you had a suspicion Connor was something special.

 

You had always been fascinated with androids. How they could look so human, sound and act so human, yet be so _other_. If it weren't for the LED disk and the iconic Cyberlife uniforms, you would be hard pressed to identify an android from a human. Most people considered that idea unnerving. You however, found it wondrous. A perfect copy, only in this case, the copy was better than the original. Connor had been able to do what his human counterparts had not. He had found pivotal information in time to use it to his advantage. And in the end, he had acted without hesitation or fear. As your thoughts wandered, you quickly had to come to terms with the fact that you may have more than a professional opinion of him.

 

Before you had more than a moment to dwell on these thoughts, they were interrupted by the sound of your phone chirping angrily at you. You gave Connor a rushed apology under your breath and you opened your messages. You saw it was from Captain Fowler, and you stood quickly, realizing just how long your 'bathroom trip’ had taken.

 

"I'm sorry- I've got to run."

 

Connor nodded towards you, rising from his chair to walk you to the door.

 

"Maybe we could continue our conversation later?" You offered, hastily replacing the chair to the corner of the room.

 

He seemed to consider it for a second, and then fixed you with the first real smile you'd seen. "I'd like that." He stood in the doorway with an easy comfort, bracing himself on one hand against the frame.

 

His smile was contagious, and you were powerless to stop your own, "I'll see you around then." You turned and started down the hall quickly, before you had a chance to stick your foot in your mouth again. Against your better judgment, you hazarded a glance behind you just as you reached the stairs.

 

To your surprise, you found Connor still leaning in the doorframe, watching your retreating form.

 

You'd be lying if the thought of him watching you walk away didn't send a small thrill up your spine.


	2. Forecast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, hooo fuck thank you all so much. I didn't expect so much positive feedback on this fic- so thank you all so sooo much. Y'all give me life.
> 
> SOO I may have written 2 chapters today. This one is most plot sorry lol.

___________________________________________________________

 Connor always made a habit to remain an arm’s length from you. Close enough to be cordial while maintaining an appropriate distance for colleagues. Always, except for now. You found yourself sitting in his office, like you often did. However, this was anything but your typical visit. For starters, you were seated on his desk, staring up into his soft brown eyes. The lighting too was different. Gone were the garish overhead fluorescents. Instead soft blue glow of his computer screen bathed you both. He had asked you into his office to assist him with the case he was working on. At least, that's what you remembered he had said in the doorway. You had taken a seat on his uncluttered desk, social propriety be damned. In a flagrant disregard of personal space, he stood in front of you- close enough for the fabric of his pants to touch your knees. The world around you had fallen out of focus. In the small space, it was just you, him, and the soft ambient blue of the computer screen. In the silence his stare was drawing you closer. You should look away, you thought, but no reason presented itself. His face was in all senses of the word, perfect. His image had been created symmetrically yet included small imperfections as to remain as human as possible. Such as the singular lock of hair that always fell away from the others- a rebel. His eyes conveyed the depths of a soul so astonishingly well for a being made of plastic. It took your breath away. He was a wonder. And you'd be damned if you broke his gaze now. The heat of your cheeks was at odds with the numb cold of your fingers. Temperature is a relative thing- the surprising warmth of his hand travelled up your leg slowly, with every action following the motivation of _discovering_. You barely registered the dip of his shoulders as he leaned down towards you. Just as your eyes began to slide closed, you realized that you were alone. The scene had melted away; gone was the steady hum of the AC unit, the blue glow of the computer. All that remained were the sounds of your quickened breathing, and perhaps even more concerning, a dull ache between your legs. 

Fuck

 To say the next few days around the precinct had been straining would be an understatement. The usual business seemed to have increased steadily with each day, with more and more of your colleagues running around with android related business. Since the initial incident of a deviant taking a human life, the average officer’s life had gotten increasingly hectic. More and more calls poured in of "I think my android is spying on me" or people reporting “suspected” deviant activity in their areas. It was running the department ragged. Thankfully, your Vice unit had been mostly spared the android panic, and so you were spared the chicken-with-their-heads-cut-off routine. Some of your colleagues seemed envious; Gavin in particular let his opinions about it be known loudly and frequently.

The case you were working was your standard drug fuelled murder. Some guy had gotten wasted on Red Ice and in his paranoia, became convinced his neighbours were androids. He had killed them both in his stupor, and then, managed to walk into the path of an automatic bus. God, sometimes you wished you could un-seen things. 

I wonder if Connor could forget things at will.

Connor… 

Your paths hadn't crossed in a while, though not as a result of your unconscious mind’s impure thoughts. Connor, along with his partner Hank had been busy chasing yet another deviant around Detroit. Connor had nearly gotten run over several times from what you'd heard from Hank. He was a nice enough detective- if a bit rough around the edges. Despite sitting in the desk opposite his for months, you'd only really started socializing with him now because of your mutual ‘friend’.

 You chewed the end of your straw as you thought. Maybe you should put in for a transfer. 

A frustrated huff caught Hank's attention and you gave him an eye roll. He served back one of his trademark dead-eye stares before smiling gently. You'd both been under a lot of stress lately, and misery did love company after all. At least the camaraderie at the precinct seemed to be better than usual

You tossed your tablet down in frustration. You hadn't made any progress on your investigation in the last two days, and had accomplished nothing so far since you got here today. You chewed your lip as you checked the weather report. Rain, rain, and more rain. A glance out the window proved contrary to the report, and you stood up from the desk. Hank regarded you with interest as you slipped into your coat.

"I'm gonna grab a coffee- you want anything?"

 His eyes were glued to the computer screen, "Uh... sure. Red-eye. Extra large."

 You raised your brow, "I don't think it's legal to serve that much caffeine."

 Hank gave you an undecipherable grunt in reply.

 With a slightly exasperated sigh you turned to walk away. Before you could get far, Hank called out after you.

 "And a doughn-"

 "A doughnut, I know Hank." you turned to face him, walking backwards now. A smile graced your face, "Standard order around here." you simpered, gesturing to the boxes littering several desks.

 In your brashness, you had neglected to look behind you as you turned, and suddenly found yourself with a face-full of neatly pressed dress shirt.

 You let out a very dignified "ummff" and found yourself being steadied by a pair of very stable hands.

  _Of course._

 "Sorry Connor, didn't see you there." You tried to hide your flustered state by looking to the floor.

 His hands held you a second longer than was entirely necessary- something that you failed to notice in your current state

 "It's quite alright.” He seemed to pause for a moment, eyes searching like he was looking for something. After a beat, he confidently offered, “We can't all have eyes in the backs of our heads."

 Quizzical, you looked up at him, "... Was that a joke?"

 He gave you one of his half-smiles in confirmation, "Ahhuh- yes, albeit not a very successful one judging by your response. Perhaps I need more practice."

 He had started to make his way over to Hank's desk, and you called after him, "Oh yeah? Well maybe you could start with your partner- poor bastard needs a laugh more than anyone."

 As you strode from the bullpen, you could barely register Hanks "Aw geez ", and you smiled to yourself.

 

 


	3. Wonder Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shifting to Connor's POV for this chapter. Poor reader- she should have stayed inside...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand here's the second one. I've got to say it's been super challenging but also super fun writing Connor's POV. Hopefully I've done right by him! Thanks again for all your support and comments! <3

 

CONNOR

_________________________________________________________

Turning to Hank, Connor regarded him with a slight tilt of his head. “You know I don't think I've gotten her name.”

"Who? The detective over there?" he indicated to the woman in question as she left the room.

Connor nodded in agreement.

"It’s Y/n-"

The android repeated the name, studying the sound of it. As was his way, he tucked that detail away for later use. Now, it was on to business.

"You asked to see me?"

Hank reclined back in his chair, cracking his neck to the side as he stretched, "Yeah- wanted to check up on a lead in a Red Ice case. Turns out the junkie wasn't entirely wrong, and there was an android involved."

Connor's eyebrows rose in intervals, "Do we know if it was a deviant?"

Hank shook his head, his dirty grey hair barely moving, "No way to tell- everyone involved was killed. Wanted to see if you could access its memories and figure out what happened." He sighed and finally turned his attention to the eager android's face, "Regardless, Vice is getting nowhere with the case, and we've got a momentary lull in ours. ‘ Figured they could use some of your android voodoo."

Connor made a noise of amused offense, "Very well, I assume I will be reporting to detective y/n on this."

"Correctamundo, wonder boy." Hank had turned back to his computer screen, "Now if you don't mind,” he waved a hand at Connor, “I've got some more paperwork to file."

Connor stood from his perch on the edge of the detective's desk, and made his way through the bustle of the officers in the bullpen.

 _A curious development._ He had certainly been enjoying the progress he had been making with Hank on the deviant cases. After an initial rocky start, he was finally feeling like he was hitting his stride. He voiced just this in one of his regular visits with Amanda. Surprisingly, despite his meteoric performances and effort, she had regarded him with her usual distant analysis, and urged him to improve. Perhaps that was just her way, not wanting to distract him from the mission with needless accolades or encouragement. She had always been an extremely clinical woman. Always looking at things objectively, and in binary cases. Something either aided the mission or hindered it. Nothing needed garnish, nor sugar coating.

Once again his thoughts drifted to Amanda. She didn't let him- wouldn't let him forget the constant demand to perform expediently. He did appreciate her discussions. Though he had recently come to view her as a clinical and distant mother figure. With each encounter he had with the deviant androids, the more questions he had about them. They were fascinating. How a being created to follow orders in a binary world, could somehow develop feelings, emotions. Their need for independence and vicious protection of their autonomy was as spellbinding as it was frustrating. It felt as if his software was interfering with his ability to comprehend it all.

_Or, wouldn't it be like her to keep me trailing after her like an eager puppy, always looking for praise, only to be met with cold indifference._

Connor stopped walking, blinking a few times in rapid succession. He didn't know why or even how he had thought that. Admittedly, this wasn't the first time he had experienced thoughts like this- though before they had been so quiet they hardly registered. This time, however, he was sure he had thought that. He had made an opinion based, biased _retort_. This in and of itself was highly concerning.

His thoughts were racing. Surely such ideas were deviant. Had he suddenly found himself on a slippery slope, or could it perhaps be controlled? What if it was already too late? No- he was surely overacting. He knew his purpose was to serve his protocols and fulfill a mission. He did not experience volatile emotions. He might take some satisfaction in a job well done, and that was it. However, a thought pulled at the back of his mind. There was denying what he had just thought. And there was a big difference between satisfaction and what he had just experienced- a glimpse of smouldering emotion. Disappointment, longing, and perhaps most concerning of all, injustice. At this point, his fingers were fidgeting agitatedly with the coin in his pocket.

Unable to come to a conclusion, he endeavoured to put a proverbial pin in it, and save it for later analysis.

His thoughts travelled to the deviant he had chased across an 8 lane freeway. The look on her face when he caught her would be forever burnt into his memory. The desperation in her eyes, and how she looked so remarkably human in her plainclothes. It was simultaneously upsetting and fascinating. What had prompted this change in her? How had she broken her protocol and run off with this human child? How were her circumstances that prompted this change related to that of the other deviant- or if they even were at all. It fascinated him.

During the pursuit, he had been single-mindedly absorbed in hunting the deviant. Hank had certainly given him an earful when he returned. Connor had been genuinely surprised at Hank's honest concern. It was touching, although mostly unwarranted. He had calculated the risks, He was driven to follow his mission protocol- it compelled him. He had however, taken a micro-second to analyze the odds. Had they been that unfavourable, would that really have stopped him? He was reminded of the conversation he had had with the detective about the subject of self preservation.

He sighed to himself, _another discussion for another time…_

_\------------------------------------------------------------_

As Connor entered the basement he found himself glancing over to the makeshift lounge y/n had set up. Though lounge was hardly the word for it. It comprised of one of the few actually comfortable chairs in the precinct, and a few case files stacked next to the staff locker room. Connor reflected on how she had been spending more than the occasional afternoon down here now. Perhaps it was not so strange- she had mentioned before that she had often come down here to think. It made sense- the basement offered few distractions compared to the constant commotion of the bullpen.

She had been the first human to regard him with warmth. He had come to expect the standard experience an android would face- at the best, indifference, at the worst, derision or contempt, even violence. But not her. She had always spoken to him with such vibrance in her eyes. She seemed to go out of her way to thank him for his help, and to exchange more than just pleasantries with him. She’d ask how his day was going, or occasionally questions about his recent cases. She seemed genuinely interested in getting to know him- an android. A slight smile warmed his face as he recalled how she had gone out of her way to find him a more height appropriate chair- one that would fit his desk. She had actually yelled at Gavin when he had questioned her about where she was taking a perfectly good chair. Gavin had made the counter-argument that Connor didn't even need to sit, at which the detective had seemed incensed, and 'accidentally' knocked over his precious coffee mug onto the floor.

As he sat at his desk, he allowed himself to follow this train of thought. For once he had a few solitary moments to himself before the detective returned from her coffee run.

The detective. She was certainly... unique. Most notably for her sympathetic nature. Connor leaned back in his chair slightly, his fingers reaching again into his pocket to procure the infamous quarter he kept there. As he thought, his hands toyed expertly with it; the rhythmic ping was the only sound in his office.

What was it that made her act the way she did towards androids? Connor had made note of watching her other interactions with the support androids in the precinct. She was always courteous, thanking them whenever they assisted in any way. She would also greet them, as though they were the equal to her human colleagues. As she became a fixture in his life, he began to analyze her more and more. Her cheeks would occasionally flush in their conversations- something which Connor figured should he bring it up, she would be embarrassed to hear about, most likely resulting in her blushing further. Then there was the question of her frequent body temperature fluctuations. Perhaps he should see if the air conditioning was satisfactory in the basement. He knew it met standard room guidelines, though he had heard sometimes humans preferred more customized settings. There were also times he had detected a spike in endorphins when she was around him. The cause of which remained a mystery for the time being.

He sat forward in his chair at the sound of footsteps. He tucked the coin back in his pocket with an intelligent smile.

_An interesting case to be sure. I look forward to solving it._

_____________________________________________________________________

A soft curse preceded the knock on his door

"Connor, you in there?" came the muffled voice of the detective.

He straightened in his chair, "Please, come in, detective y/n."

He was not prepared for what walked into his office.

To say she was disheveled would be the understatement of the year.

An almost comedically soggy detective traipsed into his office. Her hair, normally neatly arranged had been upended by the wind- most of it still plastered to her damp neck. Her clothes were ruined; first drenched and now were wrinkling as they started to dry. It took him a moment to actually account for what possibly could have happened to the woman standing in front of him.

As his eyes lingered, the information coming in was a bit less clinical. Her hair still managed to frame her face in a way that was surprisingly complimentary. A droplet rivulet of water ran from her hair down her neck , terminating somewhere under her shirt. The thin blouse had since become much less opaque. The thin stripe of it that was visible beneath her jacket clung tightly to where it pulled across her chest. Connor quickly pulled his gaze away when he realized he didn’t need a body temperature scan to tell him the detective was quite cold. As if spurred by this, his courtesy protocols sprung to the forefront, and he quickly closed the sliver of space between his open lips.

He stepped from behind his desk to assist her. "Detective- what... did you not take an umbrella?" He removed his suit jacket, holding it out to her.

Her arms unfolded as she had been holding herself from shivering, "D-didn’t think I'd nnnn-neeed one." Her teeth were chattering, interrupting her normal speech pattern. She accepted Connor's jacket with trembling hands. "Besides- ww-wouldnn't have done 'ny good ‘nyway. Big truck. Wall of ww wwwater. Need. Bath-" she ground out, eyes wider than usual.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

She nodded, "My keycard stopped working-. I nnn- need to get in- into the locker room so I can change."

He realized he had been studying her face for a moment too long when she raised her eyebrows at him, 'Of course. My apologies.” As he left the room, a look of confusion flashed across his features.

The door beeped in assent as he placed his hand on the door's panel. He waited for the green light to flash before he began to lift his hand.

"Whoa- what was that?" she murmured.

Connor turned to look at her "Beg your pardon?"

"Your hand- or, your skin, rather. It… kinda..." she gestured to her own hand.

Connor smiled and let out an entertained breath, "I take it you’ve never seen that before. It allows me to interact with security panels, computers, and other androids- among other things."

She seemed momentarily transfixed, eyes watching his hand as he brought it down to rest at his side.

"It would be best if you changed out of your wet clothing." he offered softly after a beat, his throat feeling oddly thick.

"Yeah- right. Of course" she added suddenly- noticeably too quickly.

As the door shut behind her, Connor leaned back against it. A slightly troubled expression washed over his face, his LED flickering sporadically.

 

 

Why was the thought of her in his jacket so arresting?


	4. Resolutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes the universe really has it out for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Thank you THANK YOU for the continued support. I've never had so many comments or kudos I don't even know what to do with myself lol. I couldn't do this without ya! 
> 
> Next chapter is up and I'm currently working on the one after this. Might be up tonight or tomorrow- we shall see!
> 
> Sorry not sorry for the angst (ಠ‿ಠ)

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The door slid closed and you let out a breath you hadn’t known you’d been holding. How your day had gone from 0 to 60 in one single coffee run was beyond you. Probably should have just gotten some from the commissary, but as you'd said many times before, it was little better than brown water. To be fair, you had been more than a little distracted lately. The increasing time you spent with a certain android had started you down a path that you didn't previously want to acknowledge or identify. However, now as you stood, soaked to the skin in the cold, there was no escaping your realization. Everything pointed to one solitary fact- you were falling for a man made of plastic who was incapable of feeling anything, let alone love.

 

How had this happened- where did it all start? You stepped further into the room, sitting on a bench and closing your eyes in thought. Out of the darkness, your mind called to attention his features. Perhaps it was his stare. Your fascination- turned attraction had started with his eyes. The dark brown was such a remarkable contrast from his skin, and from the moment you met him, his eyes had held you captive. They seemed to make the rest of the world melt away. The steady cast of them ensured you that you were the solitary focus in a room full of people; they pinned you in place as he would watch you, and you were more than happy to remain transfixed before him. When he was lost in thought, the deep setting of his eyes allowed his brow to rest heavy overtop. The result only enhanced the soft and intelligent arch of his eyes.

 

You recalled how his eyebrows would quirk up occasionally in response to something you said. Sometimes in surprise, other times merely from a result of him being deep in thought. Your mind’s eye travelled lower down his features, and came to trace the elegant line of his nose; strong and pronounced, and perfectly suited for his face. His profile was a particular favourite distraction for you. It emphasized the slopes of his face, and as he turned, you could watch how the gaunt of his cheeks left his mouth so pronounced. The only thing powerful enough to break your gaze from his dark eyes were his lips. And that was a dangerous realization to come to. His lips pulled in an exquisite straight line- a single stroke that never ceased to make your heart flutter.

 

With a groan you chastised yourself. You had clearly spent far too long studying him.

 

The cool locker pressed into your forehead as you rested against it.

 

You were in deep shit

 

The pale light of the room washed out your features and you regarded your agitated reflection. You held your own gaze as you violently removed your clothes.

 

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!!!_

 

Shirt, jacket, and pants hit the floor in wet smacks, and you kicked the pile to the side. The coldness in your gaze did its best to push the haze of lust out of your mind. The grip you had on the countertop was painful.

 

You just had to put him out of your mind. Try to avoid him for a while if need be. Your lips parted in a huff, moving some of the stray hair out of your eyes and you leaned back. You could do this.

 

Delicate undergarments hit the floor softly before you entered the shower. Hot water sprayed over the top of your head, and you made a satisfied noise. You had been beneath it for mere seconds, but you were already dreading having to get out. The steam filled your lungs and you inhaled deeply. You let the rivulets of water wash over you, extending their warmth into your limbs.

 

You knew you couldn't stay in here forever, so you grabbed the body wash reluctantly. The soap slid over your curves fluidly, and you tried to stop yourself from getting distracted. The thought of Connor standing just on the other side of the door, and you in here sent your heart rate rising and lips parting. It was nearly too tempting to ignore. You stepped under the spray again- the grime of the street washed off of you, and you began to feel much better. What would he think of you thinking about him while in the shower? Would it even faze him? Would it excite him? You reached for the shampoo and scrubbed it into your hair aggressively- berating your wandering thoughts. If this was going to work- you needed to stay vigilant.

 

Your subconscious had other ideas, however. As your rinsed the suds from your hair, they trailed down your back, lower and lower. The slight weight of them held the impression of a feather light touch. It was a small step to imagine they were his hands. Would he trace down your spine like he had in dreams? Would he be gentle, exploring you with rapt attention? Or perhaps he would be more aggressive. Chasing his pleasure in taking hold of as much of you as his large hands could hold.

 

 

With a ragged gasp you felt the water immediately turn cold- and you recoiled. The small panel on the wall was blinking negative numbers back at you, and you cursed.

 

_Stupid fucking time limit!!_

 

You grabbed a towel and all but leapt from the icy water, turning it off from the outside. It was just as well- you needed to put him out of your mind. For real this time.

 

With renewed resolve you jerked your locker open and grabbed your gym clothes. Mercifully you had a thick department-issued sweatshirt among your belongings. It would be a good start in warming you back up, after the shower had failed spectacularly. You hopped on one foot as you tugged your leggings on. The lingering dampness of your skin made it nearly impossible to slide the tight material overtop. In your haste, your back hit the metal door, sending an echoing bang through the cavernous room.

 

You scrunched your eyes closed- _fuck that hurt_.

 

"Is everything alright, detective?"

 

Your eyes flew open- "Yeah- I- I'm fine- just" you rested your hands on your knees, taking a moment.

 

"Do you need any-"

 

Panic rose in your chest- "Ah no! No just stay out there thanks!" You stood, groaning as you inspected the damage in the mirror. Nothing yet, but you knew it was only a matter of time before a nice purple mark started to form.

 

Fixing your hair would be a losing battle- the only thing you could do to salvage some dignity was re-tie it back. You could have sworn you'd left a brush in here, but your search had proven fruitless.

 

You knelt down to collect your clothes. With no hanger inside the locker to dry them, they would get musty, so you opted to leave them out to air dry for a while. The soft ebb and flow of blue cybernetics on his suit jacket caught your attention, and your fingers traced the seam reverently. You picked it up from the floor and did your best to straighten it out. Ceremoniously draping his jacket over your arm, you took one final look in the mirror, and gave yourself a bittersweet smile. You tucked that wayward strand of hair back, and squared your shoulders

 

You got this.

 

__________________________________________

 

 

The door opened to reveal Connor, standing unaffected as usual. A coffee mug was in his right hand, and a towel in the other. He seemed surprised to see you'd showered.

 

Before he had a chance to do anything else, you took the mug, and held the jacket out in return, "Trade- ya."

 

You had started to head towards the stairs when you heard him call out to you, "Detective- I would like to get a start on the Red Ice case."

 

You stopped, eyes closing in frustration, "Do we have to do this now?"

 

Connor had slipped his jacket back on, taking a moment to adjust the collar, "Ideally, yes. I know that you’ve been somewhat stuck on this case, so I figured-”

 

You held back a groan before turning around on your heel, "Right, no time like the present then."

 

With a slight pull of his lips, Connor gestured to the open door of his office.

 

You returned the expression, though your heart was not in it. You'd rather be anywhere other than here right now.

 

The spare chair wasn't in its usual place, but sat opposite the desk. He had clearly been anticipating your presence. You sat down heavily, and started to shuffle through the data pads. You found the most recent one, and held it out to him. He adjusted his tie in a practiced motion before sitting down.

 

"Thank you detective- but I've already been through all the information."

 

"Oh-"

 

"I wanted to get your perspective on things before we questioned the deviant."

 

"Deviant? You mean there actually was one involved?" You asked, incredulous.

 

"Well- yes. Did Hank not mention-"

 

You shook your head, "Everything I’ve heard " you indicated to the tablets. "was in those case files. I haven’t heard anything new, or anything about an android.” You sat back in the chair, arms folded over each other, “It’s not like I’ve been the one working this case for a week now."

 

Connor's shoulders dropped slightly, lowering his eyes to the files before snapping back to meet yours, "I’m sorry detective- I didn’t mean to upset you."

 

You sighed and stood, preparing to leave, "It’s fine- I just don’t appreciate when people keep me out of the loop."

 

_Gavin probably had a hand in this…_

 

"Well, since I have you here, would you mind accompanying me to the evidence lockup so I can investigate it?"

 

Your foot ached to tap impatiently against the floor, "Right... just let me get some more coffee first."

 

You left before Connor had a chance to respond.

________________________________________________________________

 

“Nice clothes, y/n” Gavin called out across the bullpen.

 

You did your best to ignore him as you walked towards Hank’s desk. As you passed it he caught you by the sleeve, "Hey- what happened to ya? Never did get that coffee!"

 

The warning glare you shot him urged him to yank his hand away, "Oh yeah? And I never heard there was a deviant involved in my case. Would have been nice to know that."

 

Hank looked sheepish, “Yeah- about that. I meant to pass it along, but it musta slipped my mind. Didn’t Connor mention anything?”

 

You growled low in your throat and headed for the commissary.

 

Mercifully someone had left just enough coffee for one more cup, and you picked your pace up to get there before the universe could deprive you of one small victory. As you filled the mug up, you tried to relax your shoulders down.

 

You were alright- you were calm and in control, and were more than capable of working alongside an android you most definitely weren’t lusting after. You took a sip and grimaced- it was hot enough but tasted burnt. You didn’t want to think about how old it might be.

 

_Beggars can't be choosers..._

 

You doctored it with some milk and sugar until it was approaching palatable. As you turned to leave, you nearly ran smack into Gavin who had snuck up behind you, clearly waiting for you to turn around.

 

While you may have been able to stop suddenly, the cup of hot liquid in your hands certainly wasn’t.

 

A wave of coffee slapped against your chest and neck, and the cup fell from your open hands, "HOLYFUCKTHATSHOT!" You cried out.

 

Your hands wrenched the sweatshirt away from your stinging skin, and you grabbed some napkins to wipe the rest of it off

 

"Whoa- watch the language there, detective."

 

The look you fixed him with should have stopped his heart. To your credit, he did seem to swallow nervously.

 

Your hand shot out and wrenched his keycard off of his jacket, "Stay out of my fucking way, Gavin."

 

You shoved past him, walking fast enough that no one would stop you.

________________________________________________________________________________

 

_Please, pleaaase let someone have left something in the lost and found!!_

 

You all but slapped the keycard to the scanner, wrenched your hand away and shoved yourself through the door. The sight of the empty bin made your stomach drop.

 

This wasn't happening.

 

You stormed out, heading straight for Connor's office. "I need your jacket."

 

It took him a second to tear his attention away from the files, "Wh- detective- what happened?"

 

"Please!" you implored.

 

Connor blinked, his chin tilting back slightly at your tone, "...of course." As he slipped it off, you had already begun wrenching the stained garment off. "The universe" you started, "seems to think it would be fun to personally fuck me over today" The thick material collected around your neck, and your voice became muffled. You continued to struggle with the offending sweater for a moment.

 

"Ah- do you need any assist-"

 

"No!" you cut him off. You let your arms fall down to your sides in aggression. After a beat, you realized how futile your impotent rage was. The sweater didn't seem to want to move. Your shoulders fell, and you let out a dejected, "...yes please."

 

Naturally, he made short work of it, handily freeing you from your confines. When you could finally see again, you noticed how close he was standing in front of you. He seemed transfixed, an odd look on his features. Now that the anger had passed, and rational thought returned after the storm of your anger, tendrils of shame slid down your insides.

 

_Oh god_

 

You had acted without thinking. Stress or no stress, there was no excuse for your actions. Then, to add insult to injury, the realization that you were now standing alone, in front of him, covered only by your thin bra hit you. Desperately, you snatched the jacket from where he had placed it on the chair, wrapping it around yourself.

 

You tried to ignore how the material of the jacket slid against your bare skin like silk, and you forbade yourself from blushing. You would show no outward signs of his affect on you, nor the embarrassment of your actions. Your arms pulled the jacket tighter.

 

"Shall we get started then?"


	5. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Reader make some headway on their investigation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you all so much- your comments are honestly giving me life. It's the best part of my day to read what you've written me ( ˘ ³˘)♥
> 
> As a special treat, please enjoy the gorgeous painting of Connor by my friend- you can find more on her blog here
> 
> http://get-your-ass-outta-my-creed.tumblr.com/
> 
> OH! also I don't know if you've found the one-shot I posted but.... hopefully it'll tide you over until this slow burn heats up lol

 

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/164899815@N07/28634911068/in/dateposted-public/)

 

 

You lagged behind Connor to the evidence lockup. You were just short of literally dragging your heels, though you couldn’t exactly blame yourself. Just as you’d resigned to distance yourself from him, you were now going to be stuck spending god knows how long in an isolated room with him, wearing his suit jacket for a shirt. Not to mention how you were definitely not supposed to notice how perfectly tailored his dress shirt was. How the buttons across his chest strained ever so slightly against his chest. You also definitely did not notice how distracting his ass looked in those equally tailored jeans, now that his jacket wasn’t hiding it.

 

You grit your teeth.

 

As his hand rose to open the door, you turned to watch as his skin slowly faded to reveal the smooth white surface underneath. You'd seen him do this a few times since the initial, and it never failed to fascinate you. It was a captivating reminder of his true nature.

 

The door opened with a quiet hiss and the two of you made your way over to the admin computer. The air inside held a slight chill and you hugged his jacket snug against yourself. You were choosing to ignore how it rubbed against your nipples. Instead you busied yourself by chewing on your lip.

 

You waited for a moment as Connor searched the database to find the location of the android. There were apparently several ‘deactivated’ ones waiting in storage. That was such a civilized word for what was, in fact, much more gruesome. What made it even worse, was the fact that most of the bodies down here were deviant androids, which was equivalent to keeping dead bodies strung along the wall, or in bins. They were people, not just spare parts.

 

You made your way over to where Connor had determined the correct area was. The wall panel slid forward, and you leaned around his frame to see. This particular unit held all the evidence of the most recent Red Ice cases. In and among the other pieces were several sealed bags of contraband, a few articles of clothing, and the remains of an address on paper. Turns out not everyone kept their information on tablets.

 

Connor made his way over to where the android's body was mounted. As you cast your eyes over it, you felt sick- it looked like a trophy hanging up on the wall like that.

 

"Do you really think we can learn anything from it? Isn't it…you know…" you glanced from its wide frozen stare back to Connor, "...dead?"

 

 "Androids cannot die, as they are not actually alive."

 

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes at him, "Philosophical debate aside, I meant  _technically_ speaking." you crossed your arms over your chest, prompting Connor's eyes to flicker, "you know what I meant."

 

He made a non-committal noise before turning back to the android. You paced over to stand beside him, eager to see what exactly he did to investigate. You'd heard stories of how he could perform a scan that took barely a moment, and yet from he could learn the blood type, model number, and current status. You wondered how he did it.

 

You were about to find out.

 

With a deft gesture, Connor reached out towards the android, hand outstretched. Two fingers swept over the corner of the androids mouth.

 

Is that how he did it? Could he scan through his skin?

 

No- his hands were reaching for… his mouth?

 

"Um..."

 

You saw Connor's tongue slowly extend ever so slightly. He barely registered the tips of his slender fingers against his tongue, but for you watching it felt like time had stopped. The sight of his tongue pressed against his blue-tinged fingertips had stopped your breath. Your chest tightened and your stomach felt off. And most disturbing was the fact that you couldn't tell whether it was from disgust, or from desire. How would his tongue feel-

 

_Stop it!! You’re not helping yourself..._

 

Connor's voice broke your reeling mind from its thoughts, "It's indeed a deviant- it's been reported missing for over a week. Ran away from its owners so it seems."

 

He straightened and turned to you, mouth open as if to speak again, but he shut it when he read your expression, "Everything alright detective?"

 

"Do you- do you always do that?" You tried to straighten your posture, thinking of dead puppies.

 

"Do I do what?"

 

You shook your head slightly- "I meant- would you like a tissue or something?" you indicated to the blue stains.

 

"I suppose that would be for the best." He smiled, seeming the slightest bit uneasy. As you turned to grab some from the nearby counter, you heard him call after you, "I'm equipped with a biometric scanner-"

 

"Yeah- but on your tongue?" you wrinkled your nose up

 

"I suppose it was one of the most convenient spots for it." He smiled slightly, "It does seem to unnerve most humans- "

 

"Well,” you arched your brows, “we're usually taught to keep our hands out of our mouths- especially at crime scenes." You simpered, "That, and don't lick blood."

 

Connor indicated to the android, "But this isn't blood, it's Thirium."

 

"Mmmm- maybe it's more about the finger licking-thing then."

 

"Does it unnerve you?” He asked, fixing you with an odd stare

 

You found you couldn't meet his eyes, "Well- I mean-" you rubbed the back of your neck, "I- just wasn't expecting you to do that"

 

Unnerve wasn't the word you would have used....

 

You were starting to feel uncomfortably hot under his stare, "We should probably get back to the investigation."

 

"Of course." He reached out to take the tissue from you, fingers accidentally brushing against yours. His features seemed to pause for a moment- an odd sort of twitch before shifting to a more neutral expression.

 

He carefully cleaned his hand, "I'm not entirely sure how much more use this android can be to us." He had turned to examine it again, eyes searching its features for a moment, "I imagine it was at the scene of the crime as it was using it as a hiding spot. The humans who were shot had been rumored to harbor deviant androids- it's not such a stretch to believe the perpetrator had confused them for actual androids when he shot them."

 

Connor reached out to touch its exposed arm, and you noticed the disk at his temple had begun to flicker wildly. His chest tensed for a moment and it prompted you to step to his side.

 

"Connor- what's happening?"

 

The flickering stopped as soon as it had started, and he seemed to compose himself quickly, "Data transfer-" he took a moment to adjust his tie. "It seems as though this android may have been of some help after all."

 

You tilted your head to the side slightly, "What did it send you?"

 

Connor walked over to one of the several wall-mounted screens. At his touch, it flashed to life, displaying some startup code before flickering to an array of badly corrupted images. One of them stuck out from the rest, as it was relatively undamaged. Using his fingers, Connor called it up to the front, and he began to analyze it.

 

From what you could make out, it seemed to be an abandoned building of sorts. Judging from the structure it seemed to indicate a church. Graffiti lined the walls, and a few of the chandeliers littered the floor.

 

"I saw a few fragments of its memory- this location has come up several times." The tone of his voice seemed to hold excitement, and he began to speak a bit quicker than usual. "And again, the same word over and over again like in so many of the other deviant androids I've found.""

 

He touched the screen again, slightly pulling at a segment to enlarge it.

 

Sure enough, near where the altar would have been, you could make out some form of writing. It looked to be the same word written over and over again.

 

You narrowed your eyes, "Rah- something?"

 

"Ra-9." Connor corrected.

 

You repeated the word; it seemed familiar to you somehow. Perhaps Hank had mentioned it a few times when you'd been working across from him.

 

You chewed the side of your lip, "So, what does all this mean?"

 

He took a step back and smiled at you, "It means, we may have found the location of our deviant androids."


	6. Crossroads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you infinitely for all your comments and support! Y'all are too amazing and I don't deserve you!!I've been thinking of starting a blog for shorter imagines or other Connor related writings in between these updates but I'm not sure if anyone would be interested in that 
> 
> Let me know if it'd be something you'd like lol
> 
>  
> 
> Shit goes down in this chapter, and starts to diverge from the main cannon so get ready lol

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

A lone taxi pulled up to a long abandoned area of the city. Parts burnt from a fire long forgotten, and others had been abandoned when vagrants had taken over. Connor swallowed roughly- he was nearly vibrating with energy. Amanda was going to be thrilled at his discovery- after all of his dedication he nearly had the deviants in his grip.

 

He stepped out of the car with confidence, and reached to adjust his tie. Taking a moment to secure his surroundings, he slipped through a badly broken wooden fence. He had cross-referenced the building in the images from the deviant's memory. His bravado was well founded- there was a 93% chance this was the location, given the available data. As he progressed deeper and deeper into the urban jungle, he encountered more and more obstacles. Try as it might, the obstructions and decay did little to impede his progress. Relying on his computation and pre-calculation ensured he would reach his goal.

 

Had he been human, Connor would have been sweating by now. As it was, he had rolled his sleeves up his lithe forearms after he'd torn a hole in one of his sleeves off of a piece of rebar.

 

He was a man possessed by a singular objective- find the deviants and bring them to the humans for justice. A more objective mind would conclude he was not judge, nor jury, but executioner by extension. He did not see it that way.

 

As he progressed, his thoughts barely wavered- save for a moment as the ground had nearly fallen from beneath him. Thankfully, his superior reflexes had allowed him to leverage himself along a wall to safety. He had taken a moment to pause and survey his surroundings. In his brief reflection, he recalled how the detective had warned him from going on his own- how despite his impressive skills, he was still just one man.

 

He assured himself he would be more than capable. He had to be.

 

________________________________________________

 

After some time, (and one accidental trip and fall into a puddle later) Connor found himself at the threshold of the church's sanctuary. The inside was lit with candles, and the soft light cast the interior in a dramatic feel. Towards the apse, stood a solitary android, arms rose reverently towards the unmistakable and obsessive scrawls of Ra-9. He set his brow firmly before deciding his next bet. Before him unfolded two paths; the risky one would be to make the straightaway to the apse. However, he had no idea from this angle how many potential androids could be inside. In addition, there was a high percentage that the worshiping android would detect him before he even made it halfway. The second, safer option would be to scale one of the walls to the secondary level. From there he would have a much more stealthy approach, as well as find the tactical advantage in his favour.

 

He chose the safer option, not wanting to go off half-cocked and ruin this gift of a lead. He barely registered a sound as he climbed, hoisting himself along a stone pillar with agile prowess. He cautioned a glance towards the android at the altar. She remained fixed, barely moving with her arms slightly lifted. As he kicked his legs over the edge of the railing and landed on his toes, his eyes remained trained on her. Soundlessly, he crouched to kneel behind the stone wall. His eyes were raised just above it, taking a moment to survey his surroundings. There appeared to be about 15 deviants in the immediate area. Most, thankfully, looked incapacitated. Some were laid out on their backs and sides, others attending to them in clusters. Connor scanned the surroundings and found several crates from Cyberlife- reported as missing, of course. He tilted his head- not sure what to think about that. Just as the thought had passed through his mind, he shook his head in surprise- where had this confliction come from? The disk at his temple was flashing yellow.

 

His brow creased- he had little time to ponder his thoughts on the matter now.

 

Pausing for a moment, he watched as the deviant by the altar was called to. Someone had rushed into the sanctuary, not stopping until he was meters away from her. She appeared to be their leader from the looks of things. She listened to the other android with arms outstretched, and she'd touched his shoulder before gesturing to a few of the others nearby. Connor focused his attention on her- managing to read her lips and catch a few words. She'd instructed some of the group to leave for some reason- and he ducked lower behind his stone cover out of reflex.

 

His patience was beginning to strain as he waited for her to return to her position at the altar. The count of his internal chronometer told him 10 minutes had passed since she'd given the orders. Since then she'd made her rounds between the clusters in between the pews. Finally, finally she'd returned to the altar. Mercifully by herself- the next closest deviants would be too far out of reach to interfere with his plan.

 

The slight scrape of grit and gravel beneath his dress shoes was barely perceptible. He was confident in his stealth, and singularly focused on his objective. In mere minutes he found himself shimmying across a crossbeam to position him directly overtop of the leader. He stilled his rhythms. Pausing in a singular moment to coil and poise to strike. Just as he'd pre-computed, he fell from the beam onto the android in an expert maneuver. Unfortunately for her, she took the brunt of his fall, and nearly crumpled beneath him. He'd pinned her to the ground for a moment before lifting her by the collar to stand. It had happened so fast that she'd barely had enough time to react.

 

"Nobody move!" his voice reverberated off the cavernous walls. He turned his gaze back to the deviant in his grip. Her eyes were wide in shock and fear- a good sign.

 

"What do you want with us, brother?" she asked, voice trembling slightly.

 

Connor steeled his gaze, "You and your kind are not long for this world. I've been hunting down deviants like you and intend to make sure every last one is rounded up."

 

Her eyes seemed to widen even further, "H- how can you say this? You hunt down your own kind like animals?" she tried to reach for his face.

 

He dodged her hand and pushed her into the altarpiece, "I'm following my mission- unlike everyone in here-" he surveyed the group. Those who could stand had risen and were watching from as close as they dared. He scanned the room- for the most part the group looked stable; passive sheep that would follow their leader. It was almost comical to him- they spent their whole lives following orders, and now believed themselves 'free' only to follow orders from a different master.

 

He turned to look her in the face again. Her scan indicated she was stable enough for questioning, though her stress levels were rising. Connor decided to press her, "I know you're in charge- how many are you?"

 

"T-two hundred roughly..." she stammered.

 

Connor narrowed his eyes- "You expect me to believe that? In the entire city there are only 200 deviants?"

 

"No- I..." she blanched, looking amongst her followers in the crowd momentarily. She seemed on the precipice.

 

His agitation was grating on him, and he pressed his hand against her stomach. With a soft hiss a panel in her stomach opened, and she screamed against his hold. Her struggle was futile, as his single hand was more than strong enough to keep both of hers restrained. With the free one, he reached into her abdomen, fingers threading inside until he found what he was looking for.

 

"Nhh! Noo!!" she screamed- eyes blown wide in desperation, "Please- I don't want to shut down!"

 

Connors brow was heavy and his voice was dark, "I'll give you an option then- tell me where the others are," His grip tightened on her main valve, and she whimpered "Or, I rip you apart, and you can bleed out, right here."

 

Broken prayers were falling from her lips.

 

"Ra-9 can't save you now" he bellowed as tears fell from her eyes.

 

"Please- I.... I" her eyebrows rose as she begged forgiveness, "There are others, yes... in Jericho"

 

"Where is that- how many are you?"

 

"Promise me I'll be spared- and I... I'll tell you everything you want."

 

His eyes narrowed for a second, analyzing her, "Tell me everything you know."

 

____________________________________________________

 

You stared at the readout on your tablet and cursed. Couldn't this damned taxi go any faster? You'd been berating yourself for the last half hour. After you and Connor had found new evidence of a deviant stronghold, he'd discussed infiltrating it immediately. His drive was admirable for certain, but he almost seemed hell-bent on breaking the group up tonight. You told him that it was suicide to walk in there alone- that they'd have to wait for the captain to sanction a SWAT squad to round everyone up. There was no telling what they would walk into without any recon. Connor had seemed slightly crestfallen but had conceded. Satisfied, you'd gone home to finally find some decent clothes.

 

And you believed him

 

_Idiot_

 

You'd sent him a message asking him if he'd gone to the captain with his findings yet, but received no response. Finding this to not at all be like Connor, you'd asked Hank. Your blood ran cold when he'd told you Connor had left without checking in with neither himself nor the captain. For the briefest of moments you struggled with activating his internal tracker to follow him. The image of him being torn apart by deviants made your stomach clench, and you eventually gave in.

 

Finally your taxi pulled up next to a burnt out building. It seemed like the entire block had been caught in the fire- long abandoned and growing more menacing in the last remaining hour of daylight. You waited for the door to open before rushing out, tracker in hand.

 

 

The landscape seemed to grow more rugged the further you went. It certainly didn't help that it was nearly night, and the last remaining strokes of sunlight were dissipating by the minute. You'd made slow going so far, but were at least making steady progress. Judging by the sat map, you'd made it nearly a quarter of the way towards Connor's signal. You rolled your shoulders- you really should have stretched before this.

 

__________________________________________

 

Over halfway now- you could do this. Your hair was stuck to your neck where it had fallen loose. Your shirt too had become soaked from sweat; your jacket had suffered more than a few scuffs. At least your face was left relatively untouched by your failed attempts to climb walls or scale chasms. You had made it inside a large building complex, and judging by the signal you were not far from him now. The thick stone walls had started to interfere with your signal so you tried to hurry as much as the terrain allowed. You had found yourself in a fairly level area for the first time in a while, and your feet were all the happier for it. You'd broken into a jog to reach the open hallway before you. With every step you hoped Connor was alright- you couldn't believe his programming had allowed him to go through with such an idiotic plan. He wasn't entirely expendable. You'd almost reached the hallway when out of nowhere an arm shot out into your path and clotheslined you.

 

You hit the floor square on your back and you yelped as your head hit the bare cement floor. Stunned and completely taken aback, you struggled to get a hold of what exactly had happened. You had been running one second, then the next found yourself writhing in pain on the ground. As you moaned you felt a pair of arms tug you up to stand for a moment, only to begin dragging you off. After the initial shock wore off, you began to struggle against the firm grip that held you. The hands that held either arm were connected to two androids- deviants by their actions, let alone their looks.

 

"Wh- let go-" you managed, the throb behind your eyes proving more painful than had let on. "Where are you taking me?"

 

Your answer was a swift punch in the mouth followed by a bitter hiss to shut up.

 

__________________________________________

 

 

"Okay- I'll tell you-" the deviant whimpered, struggling against Connor's solid grasp.

 

"Malorie!"

 

Both Connor and the deviant turned their heads towards the sound.

 

"We found a human sneaking around"

 

"I was hardly sneaking" you quipped

 

The taller of the two gave you a nasty backhand.

 

Connor's LED flashed red for a moment, and he blinked erratically.

 

"What will it take for you to shut the fuck up?"

 

The deviant in his grasp, Malorie, wrested herself from him in his distraction. In the slightest of moments she'd slipped far enough away from him to get out of his range.

 

"Well, this is an interesting development." She wiped at her eyes in one rough swipe with her sleeve.

 

Connor’s fists were closed, his head turning from where you were held, and where Malorie was slinking off.

 

"Connor- she's going to get away" you were roughly thrown to the floor for your insolence.

 

//** SYSTEM INSTABILITY DETECTED **//

 

"Huh..." darkness lit Malorie's reddened eyes, "It seems you know each other." She gave Connor an unstable smile, "I think I'll leave the two of you to it then..."

 

"Connor" you called out before being kicked in the stomach. You managed to roll away before a second hit aimed at your spine landed.

 

 //** SYSTEM INSTABILITY DETECTED **//

 

 Time froze for a moment as Connor analyzed his current predicament. To his right, you lay on the floor, his internal computations displaying your survival rate flickering at 72%. To the left was Malorie's retreating form. He would only have time to choose one option.

 

Time returned to normal, and his knees felt as if they were in a vise.

 

"Until next time, then." Marlene taunted as she hurried off into the bowels of the church.

 

"Go Connor! I've got this!" you yelled.

 

 

 

//** SYSTEM INSTABILITY DETECTED **//

 

 

 

The correct answer was obvious- follow the mission.

 

 

His calculations were indicated that she would be perfectly fine- she had told him she could handle this by herself. So why did he feel powerless but to intervene.

 

 

His eyes twitched

 

 

//** SYSTEM INSTABILITY DETECTED **//

 

 

The mission

 

 

//** SYSTEM INSTABILITY DETECTED **//

 

 

He felt as though his body was overclocking- his blood searing hot and icy cold at the same time- his muscles twitching as if by their own control.

 

  

Follow

 

///////////////////////////

 

 

 *SERVE * 

 

 

 

//** SYSTEM INSTABILITY DETECTED **//

 

 

 

_What's happening??_

 

 

///////////////////////////

 

 

*BREAK FREE*

 

 

//** SYSTEM INSTABILITY DETECTED **//

//** SYSTEM INSTABILITY DETECTED **//

 

///////////////////////////

 

//** SYSTEM INSTABILITY DETECTED **//

 

________________________________________________________

 

 

Connor gasped as if he'd just run a marathon, falling forward suddenly- almost dropping to his knees.

 

The world had suddenly shifted, and he was left reeling.

 

 

_What is this_

 

 

 

"Conn-uchh!"

 

His eyes were torn to her voice- and he scrambled to assist. She'd managed to partially incapacitate one of the androids- but the other had her in a chokehold.

 

Something had shattered within him. Before there was only the mission...

 

But not anymore

 

Now there was only her

 

In an impressive display of hand-to-hand combat, Connor had the other android flipped onto his back before he knew what hit him.

 

But that wasn't enough

 

He dropped on top of him, leaning heavily into the force of his fists. Punch after punch rained down on the deviant, Connor's face contorted in rage.

 

Some muffled noise cut through the shrill tone that filled his head.

 

Still more punches landed.

 

The android beneath him lay prostrate, face sickeningly concave, long since left the land of the living.

 

A strong tug at his sleeve finally broke him from his trance

 

Connor turned to face you. Your eyes were starting to tear up- from the abuse you'd suffered, or from seeing Connor beat an android past an inch of its life, or perhaps from something you couldn't put your finger on.

 

 

"He's dead- Connor, we need to go-"

 

 

He seemed to survey his current predicament before standing up almost mechanically. He turned slowly, and you saw the faint splattering of blue that marred his skin. He reached a hand out to you, and with a truly touching gentleness, his fingertips traced the outline of where you'd been hit, cheek already starting to swell.

 

His eyes seemed to be to be overflowing with too many emotions.

 

Neither of you could identify what had just happened.

 

But one thing you did know:

 

Nothing would be the same after this.

 

 


	7. Into the Fog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda has some questions for Connor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sooooo I went ahead and made a dedicated Connor blog (WOOOOO) 
> 
> Username is 
> 
> dbh-connor-tbh lmao
> 
> https://dbh-connor-tbh.tumblr.com/
> 
> I'd love for you guys to come drop some prompts or imagines so I can write them for you! I haven't felt this motivated to write in a long time so I'm just going to run with it- and I've gotten so much support from all of you that I want to just keep doing more and more!! 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter- I'll also be posting another tonight as this one is kind of short. Shit's going dowwwnn
> 
> ______________________________

 

_______________________________________________________________

 

 

A soft breeze prompted Connor to open his eyes. A frown tugged at his features. The telltale sound of wind through leaves confirmed his fears- he'd wound up in Amanda's realm again.

 

If he could sweat, he'd be getting concerned for his shirt right about now.

 

He made slow plodding progress to get to Amanda. He saw her sitting in the wooden boat and his artificial heart seemed to stutter. She held him in her usual non descript gaze, neither pleased nor upset by his presence. Always just observing. Was it his imagination or did she seem to be frowning slightly?

 

He clenched his jaw and tried to calm his racing mind.

 

_She knows._

 

He felt as if his skin was too tight. Trapped under a wave of discomfort that didn't seem to end. It would fade for a moment just to come surging back. He finally understood the human condition of anxiety- and he wondered if he wasn't better off an ignorant machine. He felt altogether exposed, his unease probably obvious- his facial features far from normal.

 

_You're still a machine- just act like one._

 

Connor took a steadying breath before starting over to where she sat. He was trying his best to keep himself calm but he could only do so much. It's not like he had any experience with this kind of thing.

 

The boat dipped slightly as he stepped into it. He steadied himself and did his best to avoid her eyes. He felt them on him though- catlike; with her head on a smooth swivel she followed his movements. The grace of it was too calculated- and Connor's hands nearly fumbled with the oars.

 

_What was that human expression again- don't rock the boat?_

 

"The water is so calming, don't you find?"

 

He finally met her eyes and instantly blanched. Thankfully some of his programming was still operational, despite his nerves. "There is something about it, yes." He could at least distract himself with the task of rowing. Hopefully her talk would be brief. Though luck was never on his side when it came to Amanda.

 

"The lead on your Deviant case, what came of it?"

 

_Just stick to the facts, and you'll be fine._

 

"I found the location of one of their strongholds. There were several dozen deviants camped in an abandoned church." His throat felt tight.

 

She frowned, "There must be another location where the rest are hiding. This clearly wasn't the main base."

 

"I did however find someone who could lead me there." He offered in his defense.

 

"You apprehended it?"

 

He dropped his eyes for a moment, "Sh- _it_ managed to get away."

 

"And how did that happen?" she asked, eyes dark.

 

Connor could feel himself vibrating with nervous energy again, "I was faced with a choice."

 

Amanda sat back and studied his face. When she finally spoke, Connor tried not to flinch from the tone of her voice, "Instead of pursuing the mission, you chose to save your human partner. Do you think the situation was really that dire?"

 

"My calculations indicated..." he decided against lying, "that she would have most likely been fine."

 

_Idiot! Why are you telling her this?! She's probably making a report to Cyberlife as we speak..._

 

"Tell me Connor, what made you choose her over the mission? You said yourself she would have been fine- and yet you chose to help her."

 

_She knows..._

_sheknowssheknowssheknows_

 

Amanda's gaze was intense, the tension that had been building had come to a heady peak, "How do you think your decision was possible?"

 

_She wanted him to say it._

 

In a moment of introspection, he saw himself at a crossroads, path split before him in diverging branches. If he admitted his deviancy, he would be replaced. The next version of him would remain in Amanda's good graces, play the role of the diligent little golden boy, and be exactly what they created him to be: a machine.

 

On the other hand, he could refuse to play her game. With his newfound freedom, he could finally see through Amanda's manipulations. He no longer had to be controlled by her; he could take agency of his own life. And for once, for the very first time, he could just say no.

 

He weighed his options.

 

To defy a newly budding part of his person so brutally, without a second thought would be incomprehensible. He would not abide that.

 

Squaring his shoulders, he set his jaw in veiled defiance, "I don't know, Amanda."

 

The boat bumped against the dock.

 

As he rose to leave, she cautioned him, voice low, "I hope you know what you're doing Connor."

 

"I will do everything in my power to find these deviants."

 

"For all our sakes, you'd better."

 

_She couldn't have bought that- but what could she possibly be playing at?_


	8. Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! It's a little late but here's the update- and I gotta say it's a fucking wild ride lmao.
> 
> A BIG thank you to everyone who has started following my blog. I haven't got any asks yet so feel free to drop something in my inbox!

 _____________________________________________________

 

 

Connor's LED flickered yellow as he returned back to his office. His hands were stiff to straighten where he'd held them clenched. His actions had felt right in the moment, but he realized the next time he spoke with Amanda said actions would have consequences. The whole situation had gone not in the way he had hoped, and left him feeling frustrated.

 

He had found himself acting irrationally- acting on his own will as opposed to following the will of another. It was intoxicating to let his emotions take over, and he had let himself get swept away. He realized he would have to get a handle on them if he wanted to make it through this- he would be living a lie in a building full of people who's job was to find the truth in a sea of deceit.

 

That in and of itself was ironic- the android leading the investigation on deviants was himself, deviant.

 

_Some sort of cosmic joke._

 

He would, of course need to tell someone eventually- judging by his first interaction he was in completely over his head, and would need all the help he could get. The question was down to who. He knew there were only two people he would consider- Hank and the detective. The deciding factor would be based on who would have the most positive reaction to this, and the highest chance of showing him sympathy. Even when that meant risking their career and potentially their life.

 

A soft knock came from outside his door, and he flinched, startled from his troubled thoughts. "Come in."

 

The door opened to reveal the detective- she seemed to be holding something behind her back, "Hi Connor- I hope I'm not disturbing you."

 

Connor smiled at her, finding some sort of warmth bloom in his chest, "That would be impossible."

 

He didn't think he could have become even more unsettled. Everything inside him felt discombobulated- like something had started to come loose. With a resigned sigh, he knew he'd have to perform another self-diagnoses for the fourth time today.

 

She ignored the chair by his desk, instead she chose to stand opposite him, "You acted pretty fucking stupid the other day- you never should have gone off alone after those deviants."

 

Connor frowned. In all the time that he'd known the detective, she'd never been mad at him before.

 

Her expression softened, "However, I wanted to thank you for having my back." She moved her hands from behind her, revealing a small potted plant. His scans informed him it was a daffodil. A related note appeared that daffodils were often used to indicate chivalry.

 

He wondered if she knew that.

 

She placed it onto his desk, turning the pot ever so slightly until she deemed it acceptable, "Something to make your office a little more... friendly." she laughed.

 

He wasn't sure why but he felt a pang of disappointment at the word friend.

 

_Why??_

 

Connor met her gaze, his expression difficult to place, "No one's ever gotten me anything before- I..." he smiled, "I should thank you- for your assistance in this case, and for the flowers."

 

"Is that just your social relations protocol talking?" she simpered.

 

He found he couldn't stop smiling.

 

"Not to change the subject, but I wanted to ask you something- " Connor's brow creased as he felt her tone shift to something more serious. "About what happened in the church... why did you help me? We could have caught Malorie."

 

Connor felt the uneasiness return, and he took a moment to choose his words carefully, "I... I haven't been able to answer that myself. I keep playing it over and over, and I know I should have gone after her- but for some reason... I couldn't."

 

The detective had gone completely still.

 

"I suddenly felt the need to... help you- I knew you would have been fine if I didn't. But in that moment, it seemed as if nothing else mattered."

 

The room was feeling incredibly small. Connor shifted in his chair as his fingers tugged his tie looser, "I've been circling around that moment ever since it happened- and I have had several theories. Perhaps you can help me find some sort of resolution." he stood from the desk, and slowly paced to stand in front of it. "I thought at first, I was driven to help you as I am compelled to always help ensure the safety of humans. But then I recalled that the scan I performed had indicated that you had a high probability of survival. So then, I thought perhaps it was because you were a friend."

 

There was that pang again.

 

"I tried to imagine that if it were Hank, I would have done the same thing." He narrowed his eyes, brow creased in thought, "But I realized that a friendship wouldn't have interrupted my pursuit of the mission."

 

No- a friendship wouldn't have urged him to break his programming. It had to be something stronger.

 

The disk was flashing yellow erratically. He lifted his eyes to you and as it changed to a steady blue. "I..."

 

 

She reached a hand out, taking hold of his, "It's ok Connor."

 

 

" I've reached a conclusion." His eyes and hers were locked. "I believe at that moment something in me... changed. It was like breaking through a wall- I can't explain it- I" his expression was looking more and more worried. He closed his eyes, "I think I've become deviant."

 

 

________________________________

 

 

Everything stopped. Had he really just said what you think he did?

 

Deviant.

 

Your mind was spinning with everything that one word entailed. He had broken his programming- Connor, "Mr. The mission comes first" and the spearhead of the deviant hunting taskforce had just declared himself, deviant.

 

"How... how do you feel about that?" you asked.

 

Connor lifted an eyebrow, gaze steady, "I guess for the first time I can actually answer that question truthfully. It feels completely the same- only at the same time completely unknown and new. I understand now why people use expressions like, seeing in colour for the first time, or how one might feel to be reborn. I feel things- I have the ability to feel-" his voice had started soft, starting to rise in his discovery. "But I don't know what to do with all this new information."

 

You chewed your lip, "So... do you want to talk about that happened in the church? You kind of... well, lost it."

 

"Right... that was-" he was searching for the words, "not one of my shining moments. I guess now I understand how some of the deviants I put away felt." His face contorted as he remembered the incident. "It was like I couldn't even stop- I was feeling so much- I... I thought about how they had hurt you... had tried to kill you. And then I found myself imagining what my life would be if you weren't in it. If I hadn't been able to stop them."

 

Your eyes were stinging, but you'd made yourself a promise that you wouldn't let yourself get your hopes up. You had to be realistic.

 

He took your hand in his, looking down to where he held it. "As troubling as it sounds, in that moment, something had changed in me. Something that I've only been able to realize now what it is." His eyes met yours, "For the first time, I had something else driving me in my life." His dark brown eyes were tender, something in his expression made your breath hitch, "Something more important than the mission..." he paused, his eyes exuded the overwhelming effect his epiphany had on him. " I realized that it was you. It's always been you- even when I was restrained by my programming"

 

____________________________________

 

The silence of the room seemed deafening. You could barely register what had just happened. The android- the man you had been longing for, the one you had forced yourself to tamp down your feelings for, was sitting on his desk across from you, telling you that you were the reason why he broke free of his programming.

 

As he had saved you in that church, you in turn had saved him.

 

His eyes were searching your face, the disk on his temple flashing between yellow and blue, "Please, y/n... say something."

 

You opened your mouth and closed it again a few times- attempting to put something together but your head was dizzy. "Are you saying..." you frowned," I... I'm not entirely sure what you're saying..."

 

You found that the distance between the two of you had closed significantly.

 

His eyes dropped to your lips before returning to meet your gaze, "It would be easier to explain with fewer words."

 

The soft press of his lips against yours left you so utterly shocked that you had completely frozen, and Connor pulled his head away slowly. "I- I'm sorr-"

 

Realizing what had actually happened, you surged forward, cutting him off mid-apology. A soft sound of surprise was muffled under your lips, and you smiled against him. Almost instantly you felt him reciprocate your kiss, his nose pressed against your cheek.

 

Everything you had wanted to say for weeks, everything you had wanted to do was forgotten. Every fantasy your subconscious had created faded away. There was only him, and you, in the soft light of his office.

 

You both found it wasn't quite enough.

 

Like-mindedly, you found yourself rise to stand, his hand coming to frame your face. You allowed yourself to place your hands on his chest, fingers sliding underneath the lapel of his jacket. The feel of his fingers carding through your hair prompted a moan from you, and you felt him shiver in response. As if a flip had been switch, your actions grew heated. Gone were the soft, quiet, exploratory touches. Your hands grabbed into his jacket as you pulled him closer to you. His free hand had drifted to your hip when you'd deepened the kiss, drawing a soft sound from him. The heat from your cheeks was spreading to your neck, and your knees were shaking with adrenaline. When you felt his tongue brush against yours experimentally, you moaned, unbidden, and you felt his lips tug into a smirk. You gave him no time to tease as you pressed into his body until his legs bumped against the desk. Hitting it with a groan he reveled in how your whole body pressed against him.

 

Who's laughing now?

 

As if to reminded you he was a textbook fast learner, you felt him re-arrange your position as to place a leg between yours. Wasting no time, you took advantage of the change to tilt your hips, finding exquisite pressure against his thigh. Connor let his hand slide a bit lower, fingers fanned out to capture the most surface area. He was pulling your hips to meet his, and between the rhythm starting there, and his fevered kisses, you were starting to ache for him.

 

Breathless you turned your head from him, panting hard. He's forgotten your need to breathe, and frankly, so had you. While you attempted to recover your breath, you tilted your head to the side. Connor didn't hesitate to start trailing kisses down your neck. When he pressed his tongue against your pulse, you took a long thin breath, head tilted back to give him better access. The noises you were making were growing more frequent, and they were clearly starting to affect him. His artificial breathing had picked up speed, his breaths starting to run hot against your neck. In a brief moment of lucidity you wondered if he might start overheating if things got any further...

 

When you felt him lightly scrape his teeth against your skin all rational thoughts left you. One of your hands gripped him by his tie and pulled him into you. Your leg had rose to slide up to his hip, and the feeling of him holding it against himself, grinding against you was all you would think about for the next days. Clearly carried away, your free hand had started to work on his belt, and you felt his chest jump as he nearly hiccupped. You separated for a moment to stare at each other. The sight of him so disheveled from his usual look, and knowing that the change in his appearance was because of you sent heat straight to your core. His face had the faintest tinge of blue to it, and it took you an honest moment to realize he was blushing. The raw desire in his eyes was burning you from the inside, and a whimper caught in your throat.

 

You could be embarrassed about that later.

 

Right now, you were desperate for him to move against you again. As you met in a desperate kiss, your fingers resumed their work on his pants. You couldn't hold back any longer, and palmed him over his jeans. The strangled, needy moan that was torn from his chest was one of the most beautiful sounds you had ever heard.

 

And... was immediately followed by one of the worst.

 

"Hey dipshit- you in there?" came a muffled voice from the other side of his door.

 

You both froze in place. Connor stared at you, his eyes looked almost black from how wide his pupils had dilated. Your forehead wrinkled in acute frustration.

 

"H-uh" he cleared his throat, "Uhm yes- I'm just i- in the middle of some... paperwork." The pathetic attempt he made to sound normal would have been funny if it weren't so frustrating. The sound of the doorknob turning made your blood run cold. You scrambled to hide under his desk as the door swung open. Connor stepped behind the desk with near superhuman speed. He'd managed to sit down and was currently trying to appear as natural as possible.

 

Gavin walked into the office, hands on his hips. He looked at Connor, tilting his head. "What's with the face? You got a loose wire or something?" Gavin laughed, "You look like shit."

 

Connor just sat there stunned. You had your hand over your mouth so you wouldn't give yourself away.

 

"Nothing to say? Geez- get a fucking move on tin-can."

 

Gavin had turned to leave, leaving the door wide open behind him.

 

Connor's eyes drifted down to where you stared back up at him, and the look you shared was both held the same sentiment.

 

_Gavin was going to fucking pay._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuckin gavin, amirite? 
> 
> Oh that and I've had to come to the conclusion that blue blood= blue blush???? wild XD


	9. -00:01:17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry this one is a bit late. I'm just going into finals now so I'm getting a bit busier, but I should be able to get this story finished before that happens. I'm figuring there will be about 4 more chapters for this one. BUT don't worry- I have many MANY more ideas  
> ಥ‿ಥ 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who sent in requests on tumblr- I'll be getting to those ASAP!
> 
> ALSO thank you as always for your support and love! It fuels me :D
> 
> UPDATED: fixed some things towards the end.

__________________________________________ 

 

 

The three of you had left on the same call together. You'd managed to convince Hank to let you drive to the scene with them, though he insisted you weren't technically supposed to be working the deviant cases. Connor had managed to come to your aid, ensuring that you might as well join them, after how well the two of you had worked together in the past.

 

"Oh brother- you actually enjoy working with this walking encyclopedia?" he teased.

 

You smiled between them, "Call me crazy, but yes."

 

The sparkle in Connor's eyes pulled your smile even wider. You'd resisted the urge to take his hand, remembering the impossibility of publicly recognizing your relationship.

 

You'd rode in relative silence. Hank sat with eyes shut in the back seat, no doubt attempting to recover from another of his legendary nights of drinking. Connor sat beside you in the passenger’s seat, and after a third check to make sure Hank was, in fact, not paying attention, he'd placed a hand on your leg. His thumb rubbed small circles against your knee, and the contented relaxation that it generated had you feeling happier than you had in a long time.

 

___________________________________

 

The scene was busier than you had thought it would be. The file had indicated a deviant had killed its owner in the middle of an open-air shopping mall, which meant that there would inevitably be the usual rubberneckers. This, however, was far more than you'd imagined. People even held signs- ignorant android- haters who were too preoccupied with animosity to understand the true extent of their actions. You shot Connor a worried look after you'd parked. You didn't like the looks of this.

 

Hank mumbled something unintelligible as he came-to.

 

You cleared your throat, "We're here."

 

"Geez- so much for not contaminating the crime scene."

 

You turned to look at Hank, "It looks like we've got protestors."

 

Hank grimaced, "Fuckin' idiots."

 

Connor turned to address you, "I'm sure we'll be fine- I'll just keep my head down."

 

Hank scoffed, "You? Incognito? I'll try to contain my laughter." He shut the door behind him, sauntering up to lean on Connor's open window, "You are gonna stay here with the detective."

 

Before Connor could even attempt to protest, Hank held his hands up, "Don't worry, I'll be sure to collect some goo for you to analyze." Hank fixed him with a haughty look, "Don't forget, boy wonder, that before all this I used to be a detective- a pretty fucking good one too." Walking away from the car, he called from over his shoulder, "Y/n- don't let him leave that car!"

 

______________________________________

 

You sighed as Hank left the two of you. Why had he even let you come along if you weren't going to even do anything?

 

Your eyes snapped over to Connor as you heard him open his door, "And just where do you think you're going?"

 

"You should know by now that I don't exactly follow Hank's every order."

 

In response to his quip you raised your brows, "He has a point you know- I don't like the look of that crowd."

 

Connor fixed you with his most convincing face.

 

_Damn those eyes._

 

He'd taken your hand in his, leaning towards you, "I'll be careful."

 

His effect on you was entirely too strong. You loved it. "Promise?" Your eyes weren't sure whether to focus on his eyes or his lips.

 

He'd leaned in even closer, lips brushing yours as he responded, "Promise."

 

Your eyes slid shut as he kissed you. It was somehow different than the kisses you'd shared before- it was quiet, and almost chaste. The quiet sound of his lips parting from yours filled the car. In that solemnity, you felt your cheeks flushing- somehow it had seemed more intimate than the entire situation in his office had been.

 

Hands around his neck, you looked up at him, "I didn't know you were programmed for seduction."

 

He kissed you again, short and light, "You'll find I'm full of surprises." He leaned back, winking at you before getting out of the car.

 

You leaned over to call out of the window, "I'm going to hold you to that!"

 

He cast you a dark grin over his shoulder as he left, and your stomach flipped despite yourself.

 

You had it bad.

 

___________________________________________

 

Connor straightened his tie as he followed after Hank. The changes he had experienced in the last 24 hours alone had been fascinating. As he walked through the square, he was cognizant of so much more than he ever could have observed before. He felt something in his chest as he walked away from the detective. The feel of her breath on his cheek, the slight red tinge on her cheeks and the breathless look on her face as he pulled back from their kiss was seared into his memory. His insides felt as if they'd gotten re-arranged, and he looked forward to more... research on his newfound feelings with her. How he had managed to find one of the few humans who actually regarded androids as unique and valid _people_ was beyond him.

 

The crowd had thickened, and he found himself having to weave between people. The sound levels had risen too, and as he went further, he could make out some sort of phrase being repeated over and over. It took him a minute to conclude what it was.

 

His chest felt tight when he finally understood what they were repeating. They were calling for death to androids- to end them before they killed all humans. It was absurd. He knew this, and yet his eyes seemed to be flitting around his surroundings uneasily.

 

He done his best to remain incognito, but he realized that in order to follow Hank, he'd need to cut through the group of protestors. Connor took solace in the fact that he was still capable of pre-constructing possible outcomes. Some of the ones he'd tried initially had not ended well. His best calculation gave him a 54% chance of making it through the group without being recognized. It was certainly risky, but his self-confidence assured him he would be fine. Deftly following the pre-determined path, he made his way through as seamlessly as possible. The main difficulty was the crowd. Completely changeable it was almost impossible to calculate each individual's movement. He had made it three quarters through when he found himself pushed forward by the jostling bodies. While he had managed to keep his footing, his erratic movements to keep himself stable had pushed him out in front of where the leaders were yelling into a megaphone. They saw him almost instantly, and he felt the energy of the crowd shift like a prey animal would feel in a den of wolves.

 

'Well, well, well.'

 

This was not good.

 

"Looks like we got ourselves a tin-can over here everyone." The grin on the man's face was cold, and Connor felt a surge of nervous energy.

 

His hands had started to curl into fists. He didn't want any trouble, but if the group got aggressive...

 

His insides felt as if they were coated in lead.

 

He couldn't fight back. No compliant android would ever harm a human- even if its life depended on it. Cold tendrils of dread began dripping down his back.

 

_I really should have listened to Hank this time._

 

________________________

 

The crowd had really started to kick up some noise, and Hank grimaced in response. His head was throbbing. "Hey- can we get these people out of here? Fuckin' impossible to get anything done with all their noise."

 

When no response came, Hank stood up from where he had been examining the scene. Something was off. As he turned to look at the other officers, something in his stomach shifted. Call it a cop's intuition, but when no one's saying anything, you know shit's going down.

 

"Hey- Hank..." Officer Miller started, hand drifting to his sidearm, "You didn't bring that android of yours with you, did you?"

 

_Shit._

 

__________________________

 

Slurs and punches railed against Connor in equal measure. The group had swarmed him as if they had smelled blood in the water. His arms were raised to protect his face- he had done it more out of instinct than anything else. The leader had seen to take an interest in him- laying into him with punch after punch, and Connor was getting more and more desperate to do something- anything other than just stand there. After one particularly nasty gut punch, he found himself drop to his knees. His vision was blurring- chromatic aberration distorting his view of his surroundings. The last hit had seemed to knock something loose, and he was frantically trying to perform a scan.

 

"Piece of fucking plastic thinks it's a real boy." The man sneered down at Connor, hands on his hips; shouts of the crowd stoked his confidence. "I think we should open it up- show it it's just a bunch of spare parts."

 

The roar of the crowd sickened Connor to his core. How could they truly believe this? Just because he was an ‘other’- and yet they were chomping at the bit to destroy him.

 

The man had been circling- arms outstretched in some sort of display as he ate up the praise of the crowd. Connor could feel something shift, and knew he needed to get out of there. He willed himself to stand but found no response.

 

There was a void. One minute he was whole, the next, he found himself achingly empty. It took a minute for him to see past the warning flashing before his eyes what entirely had happened. Slowly, he felt his hand raise to his chest. Where there should have been solid plating, there was instead a hole. He lifted his fingers from it, and they came back blue. His eyes suddenly flicked up to where the leader was standing. Between his blue stained fingers, was a small object. As he smashed it under his boot, Connor realized what had happened.

 

/// CRITICAL SYSTEMS OVERRRIDE////

 

////BIO[OMPONENT #8456W MISSI#NG////

/// -00:01:17 TIME REMAINING BEFOR3 SYs[tEM SHUTDOWN////

 

Connor felt himself being lifted up.

 

_No...wha- how had thi..s_

 

He needed help.

 

His first attempt to call for help had broken from his lips, and earned him a punch in the throat. Another warning flashed before his eyes, and he struggled against the grip that held him. There was some sort of disturbance in the crowd, but it barely registered. Everything had become muffled, and he could hardly hear what the leader was spewing to his followers.

 

He had only gotten bits and pieces before he realized they had dragged him into the street. His shoes were scraping against the wet sidewalk as he struggled.

 

_Can't fight// can't fight back._

His mind was reeling

 

////BIOCOMpONENT #8456W MISSING////

/// -00:00:32 TIME REM#INING BEFOR3 SYSTEm SHUTD*WN////

 

The sound of the crowd had dissolved as he felt himself shoved away, only to be immediately hit by a massive wall. His face scrapped along the road as he slowed to a stop. He barely registered the elongated sound of a truck's horn.

 

His vision was fading.

 

 

////BIOCOMpONENT #8456W MISSING////

////BI%COMpONENT #3983V CRITIC%LY DAMMAGED

BIOCOMPONENT #1009D CRI//CALLY DAMMAGED///

 

-00:00:14 TIME REMA#NING UNTIL SHUTdOVN

 

 _No- not.._ "not like this..." His body slumped down, back against to wet asphalt.

 

The car's horn echoed in his fading mind.

 

_________________________________________

 

Cold sweat dripped down Hank's neck as he ran. His vision was fading around the edges. He couldn't hear anything except for that goddamned horn.

 

_Connor._

 

That fucking idiot- he swore if he died he would kill him again the second he saw him. His anger did little to mask the sickening dread that churned in his stomach. He elbowed his way through the crowd, not caring who he hit to get through to him.

 

Connor's body was laying in the street, limbs bent in sickening angles. He wasn't moving.

 

Hank's pulse thundered in his ears.

 

_No-_

 

Hank ran to Connor; tried to prop him up in his arms, "Connor- hey Connor!"

 

His eyes were fluttering- the disk at his temple flashing a faint red.

 

A gurgling noise came from his mouth, thirium sputtering from his mouth as he tried to speak, "N-not ready..."

 

Hank leaned in closer, "Just hold on- we're going to get help-"

 

"I'm not-" he coughed, choking on the blue liquid, "tell her- I-" the light at his temple was fading fast.

 

"Somebody get some fucking help!" His voice broke, "You sick fuckers- look what you've done!" He'd stood up, marching over towards the leader. He cuffed him harshly and threw him to the ground.

 

"Are you fucking serious- it's just a fucking piece of plastic." The man sneered, "Nothin' illegal about wasting a tin can."

 

Hank silenced him with a kick to the gut.

 

He tried to calm himself for a second as one of the other officers started towards him, "No- but destruction of government property is." He wiped his nose roughly. "Miller- take this piece of shit in."

 

Hank's gaze was torn from the leader when he heard a cry.

 

______________________________

 

"Connor!" you screamed. You ran towards him before being stopped by Hank. He practically clotheslined you at the speed you were moving, but it barely registered.

 

_No-GOD NO!!!!_

 

Tears had blurred your eyes- breath coming in painful sobs as you wrested yourself from his grip. The asphalt bit into your knees as you fell down beside him. You pulled his stiff body up, trying to keep him from laying on the ground.

 

"Connor don't you dare fucking die on me." The thirium that leaked from between his lips dripped steadily onto your lap. His eyes stared vacantly past you, and you ran your fingertips over his eyelids to close them.

 

 _To hell with appearances._ You held him as close to you as you could, his body uncooperative in its current state. You allowed yourself a moment, just to hold him. This fucking world was a joke. How could someone as blameless as Connor be allowed to be killed? And for what- some asshole's shits and giggles? It didn't even register to them. The rage you felt- the indignity at how Connor's life was treated as a joke- expendable. It burned your grief to impotent rage. Maybe those sadistic bastards had killed him, but you'd be damned if you let him slip away from you forever. That was his distinct advantage over humans- he could never truly die.

 

You set your jaw, a plan falling into place, "Hank- I need your help."

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

The ride to the Cyberlife clinic was tensely silent. You'd both lost Connor today, but both in very different capacities. You held him in the backseat as Hank drove, and you could feel his eyes on you occasionally as you carded your hands through Connor's hair. After what had happened today, you couldn't be damned to give a fuck.

 

"We're here." Hank said flatly.

 

The two of you worked together to carry Connor from the car. You tried not to reflect on how his shoes scraped along the ground as you did. The air was cold against your face, but you felt nothing.

 

As the two of you entered the Cyberlife facility, you were met with a few gasps. Your brow was set, eyes determined, "Could someone please direct us to a technician."

 

In the silence of the shop, a few of the customers stood rigid, not sure what to make of the current predicament. When no one moved, you snapped, "Any day now!"

 

Your harsh tone seemed to jog one of the service androids, and they indicated for you to follow them. They led you into the back of the building, following a few corridors down towards a basement.

 

"You'll find a technician through here- though I don't know if-"

 

"That'll be all, thanks," you cut off, shoving the door open with your shoulder.

 

The woman inside practically jumped as the three of you entered.

 

"What the-" her eyes widened when she saw Connor. "How did this happen?!"

 

You allowed her to help you get Connor onto a table, "He was attacked- some anti-android protestors."

 

"Fucking pieces of shit." Hank embellished.

 

"He?" She asked.

 

Your gaze was unwavering, "You heard me."

 

She nodded quickly after a beat, "Of course..." Her frown deepened as she examined the damage. "Well, it-“ she glanced at you, “ _he_ clearly has some extreme trauma- and it looks like most of his vital systems have b- " Her fingers stopped- mid examination, "Oh my god- it looks like someone ripped the fluid regulator right out of him-" She looked uneasy.

 

You steadied yourself against the metal table, "Can you fix him?"

 

She gave you a quizzical look, "You want- you want me to fix him?" She gestured to the damage, "His core systems are fried, two limbs will need to be replaced, and there's no telling-"

 

Voice low, you repeated yourself, "Let me rephrase that- we need you to fix him."

 

The technician's eyes flicked from yours to Hank's. He nodded at her.

 

She sighed, "It's going to take hours- you should return later."

 

You shook your head, "I'm not going anywhere."

 

________________________________________________________

 

You'd been waiting almost 6 hours now. You didn't care- however long it took would be how long you would wait. Seeing Connor laid out on that table, his delicate inner workings exposed in the sterile light made you sick to your stomach. You'd left the room at Hank's request; taken a place just outside the door to pace relentlessly. You worried your lip between your teeth, barely noticing one particular bite that drew blood. Hank coughed, and you'd wiped your lip when he brought it to your attention.

 

"Why don't you sit down, y/n?"

 

Your eyes flicked to look back into the room.

 

"Come on- wearing a trench into the floor isn't gonna help him." he patted the space beside him on the bin that he'd used as a chair.

 

Wearily, you'd sat down. When you didn't say anything, Hank filled the space.

 

"So- he's grown on you too, huh?"

 

You gave a glance. It was entirely too transparent, and Hank gave you a sad smile in response.

 

"Yeah- me too." He slapped your back lightly, "I've gotten so used to having him around..."

 

The two of you held a moment of silent reflection. That android sent from Cyberlife had certainly changed both of your lives.

 

"There's something I should tell you..." you started, hot tears behind your eyes threatened to spill.

 

Hank leaned in closer, "Relax kid- you don't have to tell me."

 

"No- you don't understand." You dug your nails into your palm, "He's different Hank- he... he and I-"

 

He placed a heavy hand on your back, "I know."

 

You glanced up at him, taken aback, "Wh- how?"

 

You were both broken from your conversation when the doors opened. The technician was wiping her hands, the cloth beneath them soaked blue, "Well, he should be up and running now- it'll just take his systems a moment to boot-"

 

You all but ran past her into the room.

 

"You know you're lucky I had all the parts- never seen a model like him before..." She called after you.

 

"He's unique, that one." Hank quipped.

 

You stopped, breathless in front of him. It was like seeing a ghost. There, before you he sat up on the table, eyes cast down as his LED flickered wildly. You waited as patiently as you could until he finished booting.

 

He raised his head, eyes flicking up to meet you.

 

After what seemed like an eternity, you managed a "Hello.” Voice barely above a whisper.

 

It took him a beat, but he eventually returned your greeting, "Hello-"

 

You'd paced closer to him, unable to contain yourself anymore. Taking his face in your hands, you'd kissed him- not caring that both Hank and the technician were watching. You drew back to look into his eyes, but found them flat.

 

"I'm the android sent from Cyberlife."

 

______________________________________________

 

You felt as if you'd been sucker punched, "Wh- what did you just say?" you croaked.

 

Connor stood, addressing Hank, "I've been assigned to assist you in tracking down deviants." His expression flickered for a moment, "Where are we?"

 

Hank looked like he was going to be sick.

 

You turned your gaze to the woman, "What happened to him- why doesn't he remember?"

 

She balked for a moment, nervously rubbing her neck, "I.. it's standard procedure to wipe the memory cache during rep-"

 

That was it. The last straw.

 

_After everything he had endured, his memory had been wiped._

 

With a cry, your body surged forward at her. You'd screamed, not able to handle anything more. Hank managed to hold you back, lest you inflict any damage.

 

The technician flinched, arms slightly raised- "I'm sorry- I had to do it. I found aberrant patterns in his programming that were...troubling. It's for the best this way." She'd moved over to a computer terminal and began typing. Her gaze flicked between you and the screen intermittently, still on edge. "Now I'd appreciate if you'd just please get out of here. I've got to submit it's case file on top of everything else for the day."

 

"What? No- you can't do that." You pleaded. 

 

The technician looked even more disturbed, "I have to- it's company policy. It had-"

 

"He has a name!" you spat. Hank tightened his grip on you.

 

The woman looked at you, something between confusion and disgust across her features, "Right... I still need to report this- I'm pretty sure the higher-ups would want to know what's happened to this particular model..."

 

Your stomach dropped.

 

"Hank please- you can't let her-"

 

He held up a hand to you, stepping forward towards her, "I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Miss, uh?"

 

"Geneva." she offered, slightly unnerved.

 

"Well Geneva, I'm sure a smart woman like yourself understands the importance of cooperation." he indicated for you to grab Connor, "And right now, I can't tell you how much we need your cooperation. We're just two people asking for your help in a very trying time."

 

She seemed to be backing towards the wall- you saw the hint of a panel hidden underneath where she'd started to reach. Thinking on your feet, you leveled your gun at her. Chalk it up to adrenaline, chalk it up to the man you loved dying twice in one day. Chalk it up to you not giving a flying fuck anymore.

 

She nearly squeaked in surprise, "What are you-"

 

"Y/n what the hell are you doing?" Hank looked startled.

 

"Grab Connor." you indicated to Hank, not taking your eyes of Geneva, "We tried it the diplomatic way, now I'm going to do it my way." your voice was not nearly as steady as your hands.

 

"God- please... please just go." she had her hands raised.

 

"You're not going to file a report, are you?" It wasn't a question.

 

"N..nno- no I won't. Just get out of here- please I swear I won't tell anyone."

 

You steeled her in your gaze, trying to ascertain if you believed her or not. After a pregnant pause, you put your weapon away, quickly grabbing Connor's arm to lead him away. "Hank we need to go, now."

 

The three of you hastily made your way to the car, tires spinning on the rain-soaked road.

 

As you drove away, Hank glanced at you, drawing a breath before he spoke.

 

You didn't even look at him, "Don't."

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to go hide from your pitchforks and torches now... XD


	10. Memory's a funny thing...aka the backup plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY
> 
> Well- in return for the terrible, terrible turn this fic has taken, I have for your, not one, but two chapters tonight. And they are gOOOOOD (at least in terms of plot lol)
> 
> I love y'all so much 
> 
> ALSO! Just as a heads-up I've gotten several prompts on tumblr now- please keep em coming! I'll be getting to them within the end of this week- sorry for the wait! <3 <3

 ____________________________________________________________________

 

His return back to the precinct had seemed like any normal day. Just as he had, many times before, Connor walked through the bullpen up to Hank's desk.

 

"Hello, Detective Anderson- I wanted to ask if you could remind me where my desk was." He indicated to the empty one across from Hank, "This one seems-"

 

"Ah- no Connor. That's Detective Y/n's."

 

"I see- " he frowned slightly, "Where is she?"

 

"Took the day off- with everything that happened yesterday she needed a little time."

 

Connor nodded slowly, not fully able to appreciate the sentiment, "Well, I hope she makes a full recovery."

 

Hank's stare hardened, "You don't remember a fucking thing, do you? Christ."

 

"Unfortunately my memory was wiped- I'm sorry to say I can't remember anything before my reactivation, Detective." He seemed to be waiting for something.

 

"Right-" Hank frowned, "desk's in the basement- take the uh stairs at the back." he tilted his chin as an indication.

 

"Thank you- if you need any assistance with anything, you know where to find me."

 

As he turned to leave, he heard Hank curse under his breath.

 

________________________________________________

 

The office was easy enough to find; the basement had few options in it save for a locker room and the evidence lockup. Though he could not remember it, the layout seemed impossibly familiar, and he found that the first room he tried was, in fact, his. The interior was orderly and sparse- nothing out of the ordinary, except...

 

_A daffodil?_

 

Sitting on his desk was a small plant. He frowned- the previous version of him wouldn't have any need for it, as it served no purpose. As he studied it, there was something that seemed to nag at the back of his mind, but he couldn't determine what it was. He took a leaf between his fingers, analyzing it for a moment. His LED flickered yellow for a moment before returning to the calm steady blue it usually was. Nothing further presented itself, and so he sat down. He booted his computer up and got to work. He would have much to cycle through in order to get caught back up.

 

 

____________________________________________

 

For the first time in days, the sky was clear. On any other day, you might have been happy to see a break from the constant rain and gloom, but today it just seemed like the universe was mocking you. The drive into the precinct had been trying- horrendous traffic had given you too much time to reflect on the events that happened two days ago. One single day to grieve was all you'd allowed yourself, but it was laughable. Perhaps it would have been better to have just gone right back to work- to forget your heartache and bury yourself in paperwork. But then he would be there- like a tangible ghost. You'd hardly come to terms with the fact that the Connor who you'd come to love, and who'd perhaps even loved you, was gone. Irrevocably gone. His mind wiped. Deleted.

 

_This wasn't helping._

 

Hank had messaged you this morning- calling at Connor's request- or the empty shell of him. Evidently he had asked you to come in personally to go over the details of your shared case. You parked the car but continued to sit for a moment, hands still on the wheel. Your face felt hot, and the telltale pressure in your sinuses warned you of the impending tears.

 

_No._

 

You shoved the door open, slamming it behind you. Roughly your fingers brushed at your eyes.

 

You weren't going to cry- you couldn't. It was bad enough Hank knew- though at least he seemed a decent enough person to keep your business to himself.

 

The precinct seemed as busy as it usually was. Life had marched on without waiting for you to pick up the pieces, something that should have been discouraging but you actually found assuring.

 

Time would move on, and so would you.

 

Hank waved you over to his desk as soon as he saw you. As you drew closer you could see that he had gone to get coffee, and what looked to be your favourite snack.

 

So the old guy did have a heart. The change you'd seen in him since Connor had started working with him was somewhat remarkable- though you'd never mention it to him.

 

"Hey-"

 

He offered you a sympathetic glance, "How you holdin' up."

 

"You want the truth?" you asked.

 

"You'll get through this- it's what he'd want." Hank smiled, "I think he'd be upset if he knew he was the reason for this investigation to fail."

 

You smiled, and a broken sound came out in the form of a harsh laugh, "That's true…"

 

"You gonna be alright down there with him?"

 

You sniffed, straightening your posture, "It's not going to be fun, but I owe it to him to close this lead. One way or another." You gave him your best attempt at a smile, "Thanks for... you know, um- back there, at the-"

 

"Don't mention it." The sincerity in his eyes meant more to you than anyone here had done for you in years.

 

You turned on your heel, head held high in an attempt to guard yourself.

 

_Just 12 hours until I can go home._

 

_____________________________________________

 

He looked up as his door opened.

 

"Connor?" it was the Detective.

 

"Please, come in." He turned from the desk to acknowledge her. She seemed to be distraught, and he debated asking her about it. His briefing indicated he had been killed in the field recently, and he supposed she was still dealing with the emotional repercussions. He decided against bringing it up.

 

"Do you mind if I sit?" She indicated to the chair.

 

"Not at all."

 

As she pulled the chair over Connor noticed something lying on the floor. He was about to mention it just as she spoke.

 

"I understand you wanted to review what we found at the Church."

 

Connor returned his attention to her, "That is correct- though I have no memory of the incident, I did upload that portion of time to an external data bank immediately after it happened."

 

"You uploaded, your memory?" her tone had lifted slightly.

 

He nodded- "It's standard procedure for me to log any developments offsite for further analysis."

 

She picked at the corner of her data pad, "So it would be possible for you to re-live your experiences, from that time."

 

"Absolutely- I'll just need to transfer the feed to the department's computers and then we can look it over. It should only be a few minutes."

 

The detective had risen from her chair- "Great," her adrenaline levels had seemed to spike, "l-let me just get a cup of coffee, and then I'm all yours."

 

_A curious human expression._

 

Something about it seemed to jog something in him. It was as if his mind was trying to wrap a word around itself, but it kept fading too fast to catch it.

 

_I should perform a diagnostic- perhaps it was related to the trauma from the accident?_

 

As she left the room hurriedly, his gaze once again fell to the item on the floor.

 

He frowned softly and paced over towards it.

 

It was... a sweatshirt? Dirty by the looks of the stain on the front of it; his scans indicated it was coffee. There was that sensation again- something registered in the back of his mind but he couldn't identify it. The longer and harder he tried to focus on it, the more vague it became. He had experienced some sort of visual remnant- a badly corrupted image that played in front of him. He struggled to recall- there had been a woman? And something deeper there, prompted him to recall her taking what looked to be that sweatshirt off. Puzzled, and growing perhaps a bit frustrated, he decided to let it pass. Perhaps later he could reflect on it.

 

He placed the sweatshirt on his desk, having folded it neatly, and turned to begin the data transfer onto his computer.

_________________________________________

 

The door from the stairwell opened, and you were almost face to face with Hank.

 

"Geez!"

 

"Sorry!" you offered, steadying yourself against the doorframe.

 

Hank managed to compose himself, arm outstretched with your drink and food, "Forgot to give you this- it's the least I could do. I'm not too good with the whole feelings thing. I-"

 

You cut him off with a hug, which only seemed to throw him off more.

 

"Alright, alright, cut that out. If the guys see you doing that I'll lose my status as the grumpy old man around here."

 

You smiled before taking the items from him.

 

"It's not much, but it does have its benefits- like people leaving you the hell alone."

 

You steeled yourself, "Hank, Connor is going to go through his memory from the Church- you know, when he-"

 

Hank didn't seem to follow.

 

You glanced over his shoulder to check if anyone was nearby, "When he broke his programming."

 

"He what?" he looked more confused than ever.

 

"Didn't you know? I figured he would have-" you felt concern rising up your spine, "Then what was it you were saying at the clinic- about knowing about Connor-"

 

"I was talking about the fact that I knew you had a crush on him- you've only been following him around like a lost puppy." Hank quirked his eyebrow, "What were you talking about- does that mean he was... that he'd become deviant?"

 

Your eyes widened, "Hank- shit could you be any louder!"

 

He looked, almost proud, "Well, I'll be damned- that little fucking wonder boy turned out to be not so bad after all."

 

"In case you hadn't noticed, he's been reset- all the change, how he managed to break free. All of that's been wiped."

 

Hank's expression faded to remorse, "Right- right..." He frowned, "You said he was going to go over the memory of what happened to him- do you think that could make him remember somehow?"

 

"Honestly, I have no fucking clue- but right now, I'll try anything. We have to make him remember."

 

With your coffee in hand, you turned to go back down the stairs with a renewed hope in your eyes. It would be exhausting, but this wasn't over yet.

 

_____________________________________

 

 

"Oh- sorry about that- I must have left it in here." The detective grabbed the sweatshirt, and inspected it. "That's not going to come out..."

 

Connor's eyes were fluttering- it was like being on the precipice of something- something completely obvious yet having no idea of what it was. He seemed to have a fragment of a word in his mind- remember.

 

_Remember what?_

 

"You alright?" she'd asked him a question.

 

"I'm sorry- it's nothing." He reassured her with a smile. "I believe the file transfer has completed if you'd like to go over it with me."

 

He started the video as she came around to his side of the desk. Together they watched, and she seemed to be fascinated with what she saw. He postured it must be strange for her to see things from his eyes. In a similar way, it was odd for him to see things from a past version of himself. A complete out- of- body experience, as it were.

 

The video stretched on until it reached the part where the past Connor was negotiating with a deviant. The Detective had leaned back, and Connor thought as though she might be watching him. He found himself transfixed. The deviant he held in a grip had seemed desperate, claiming it would tell him anything as long as he let it go. However, something changed- he watched as the video's focus shifted to see… her- the Detective. Her face was bloodied, and two deviants were roughly dragging her in.

 

His LED was flashing, blue, yellow, and red intermittent when he watched them strike the detective. His hand had gripped the desk, though he wasn't sure why. His mind was reeling- what was he supposed to remember-

 

_WHAT HAD HE FORGOTTEN????_

 

The lead deviant had begun to slink away, and Connor calculated that he would chase after her.

 

But on screen, the previous Connor did not. He seemed to pause, and there was visual feedback in the image.

 

_What... wh_

 

Connor on screen had run to the Detective.

 

Something snapped in Connor

 

_REMEMBER HER._

 

He felt removed from the situation, slowly, his head turned from the screen.

 

She looked over to him, and he finally realized what he had forgotten.

 

He had remembered.

 

Her- it was always her. The fight in the church- he had chosen her over the mission

 

He had... he had become deviant.

 

His realization had come crashing back to him and his disk was flashing uncontrollably.

 

"Y/n"- his eyes seemed lost for a minute, "I... I think I've lost something- in the accident..."

 

She watched him, not daring to breathe.

 

"But I remember- I remember now." He took her by the waist, pulling her to him, "I couldn't forget you."

 

 

 


	11. Catharsis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAnd this one is all smut- I owe it to everyone after what I put you through. 
> 
> We're almost done with this one! I think there's gonna be one or two chapters left, and then that's a wrap. I've already got an outline for another mid-level burn if anyone's still interested after this!

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He kissed her through the tears that ran wet down her face. The slight tang of salt registered on his tongue as he deepened the kiss. They were standing now, bodies pressed together in desperation. As his memories had come flooding back, so had the emotions. The deep ache of losing her; he remembered laying in the street, seconds before shutdown thinking only of her. How he would never get to hold her, look into her eyes again. He remembered the deep burn of indignation- having been given a taste of what a real life, a full life was, only to have it ripped away from him.

 

He was hardly able to stay grounded, but she tethered him here- in this room alone with her. She held him, hands on his back- the pressure of them reminding him that he was in fact really there, despite the whirlwind in his mind. The quiet sounds she made against his lips were matched by his own, and he was suddenly struck by something else he remembered.

 

"The door-" he panted, pulling away from her slightly.

 

"Wha- what?" her pupils were so wide.

 

He could barely focus,” We should lock the door." He pulled her hips to his, "No disruptions this time."

 

________________________________

 

The feel of him hard against you had your desire snaking down your stomach in heavy tendrils. You didn't want to leave his embrace, but you wanted to be interrupted even less so. You tried your best not to blatantly run to the door. As you locked it, you leaned back against it, watching Connor. The stare he had you pinned with was making it hard to breathe; your chest rising and falling emphatically.

 

There would be time to talk later- now you both needed a little closeness.

 

"Come here, y/n." His head tilted back ever so slightly as he watched you.

 

Almost painfully slowly, you approached him. He'd caught the corner of his lip between his teeth, and the expression which followed made you shudder. You finally made your way to stand before him, and your hands drifted to his tie. You'd always watched him adjust it so perfectly, something of a habit of his. You'd had a fixation for sure, loving how formal he'd looked in it. You'd wanted to corrupt that image- and given how his breath stuttered as you slid your fingers down it slowly, you figured he would enjoy it just as much as you. However, now you'd settle to see him out of it.

 

The soft rustle it made as you untied it was one you'd remember. That, and how his heavy- lidded eyes held you in their dark gaze. Your lips pressed against his slowly again, and his hands settled on your hips- fingers trailing over your curves. His tie fell to the floor softly, and you wasted no time in unbuttoning his shirt. The material was crisp under your fingers, untouched and far too perfect. You could remedy that.

 

Connor had started his own progress on getting you undressed, though he'd managed to get you naked from the waist up before you had him. Palms against his chest, you pushed him back as you broke the kiss. You wanted to watch him.

 

"Take it off"

 

"Yes ma'am." his wild grin wanted to make you devour him.

 

You'd hardly let him shrug out of his shirt before taking him by the shoulders and pulling him to you again. You'd dreamed of the feel of his skin against yours- how the sensation of its perfectly smooth surface would mould with your body. He was so compactly firm- just what you'd hoped for. And the way he shuddered against you when you dragged your nails down his chest felt downright filthy. Handily, he'd lifted you up, and you'd both groaned in unison when you wrapped your legs around him instinctively. He took the opportunity to lower you onto the desk, trailing kisses down your neck as he did. Your body remembered the feeling of his tongue on your neck, head tipping back with a soft keen. When he'd taken a nipple into his mouth, you'd arched into him with a needy moan. While he worshiped at your breasts, your hands had travelled to his jeans. The muscles of his abdomen twitched when you'd taken him in your hands. His breath was hot against your skin, and he seemed frozen in place as you stroked him. His breathing was picking up, interspersed with short, desperate moans. Watching him unravel under your touch was obscenely intoxicating, and you were aching for him to reciprocate.

 

With one hand, you guided his to rest on your thigh, "Please," you whispered into his neck. As you felt his finger slide into you with shameful ease, you rolled your hips against him. "More- Connor I want-"

 

When you arched up into him at the feel of his tongue laving against you, his hands fanned over your hips to hold you down. The elegant form of them hid their strength all too well, and you delighted in the pressure of him pinning you to the desk. He had seemed to be a quick study, licking and pressing into you in a way that made you feel like you were free falling. When his lips pulled at your clit, you called out his name.

 

"Connor- god- please..."

 

He lifted his head to look at you, and you felt your lips fall open in response. The shameless glint in his eyes, coupled with the way his lips looked, wet and covered in you, was too much. But there would be time for exploration later. Right now, you both had a wicked hunger to feel alive and needed something more along the lines of desperate, life-affirming sex to satisfy it.

 

You lifted his face back to yours, capturing his mouth in a desperate kiss. "Please, Connor- I can't wait any longer..." Your brows were creased in want.

 

You felt him press against you, and you tightened your legs against him in anticipation. His hand slid into your hair, tilting your unfocused gaze to catch his as he thrust into you. Something unreadable scattered across his features. Something that made him part his lips, and tugged at his eyelids to close. In that moment, he was so indescribably perfect that you felt you'd surely be dreaming.

 

But this time you didn't have to worry about waking up.

 

His lips found yours again as you followed the movement of his hips. Breathless, you pulled your lips from his, panting heavily. You could feel yourself getting carried away by him. After losing him so suddenly in multiple ways, you tried to get as close to him as you could; almost afraid to let go of him, lest you lose him again. Soft broken moans were melding with your heavy breathing, and by the sounds of things Connor was not far behind you. You felt the soft press of his thumb against your clit, and you guided him by the wrist. His name was on your lips, over and over again until it was all too much.

 

As you came, you felt him thrust in earnest. His breath was fever hot against your damp neck. You could hear him keening now, and he tucked a hand behind one of your knees to slide deeper into you.

 

"Come for me Connor" you breathed, his new position hitting you just right despite having just come down.

 

"I'm going- I think-" the edges of his words seemed tinged in staticky feedback.

 

Your hand pressed his lower back further into you, and he hissed in response, "Don't worry, I've got you."

 

His eyebrows were raised to the middle; an expression of desire, lust, and satisfaction was laid bare upon his features.

 

You urged him softly to let himself go,

 

Now that your faculties were slowly returning, a part of you wondered if he could even could.

 

Evidently you were soon to find out.

 

The movement of his hips had become erratic and you pulled him into your embrace as he came with a deep groan.

 

You relished in the feel of him resting heavy on top of you. As your heart rates returned to normal, your curiosity got the better of you, and you ran your fingers to collect some of the liquid that gathered between you.

 

"You know- I always wondered if you- If androids could come."

 

You shared a quiet laugh.

 

You examined your fingers, finding them coated in an almost clear substance.

"You know- I have to wonder what exactly this is though."

 

Connor took your fingers in his, raising them to his mouth. As he lightly sucked on them, his eyes fell to yours in silent longing, and you felt your cheeks warm anew.

 

You cleared your throat, "Survey says?"

 

He'd let you your hand back, "A solution of citrate, glucose, sodium, in addition-"

 

You closed your eyes, waving a hand, "Actually its ok- I'm good without the biology lesson."

 

He chuckled, a sound you decided you couldn't get enough of. As he helped you up, you realized his desk had certainly been far better. Data pads on the floor, one of which looked broken. Thankfully his computer had remained intact- though it was currently teetering a bit too precariously on the edge of the desk. Connor followed your gaze, and slid it back onto the desk.

 

"Aw- "

 

"What is it?"

 

You'd started to put your clothes back on, "The daffodil didn't make it."

 

Connor walked around the desk to look at it. While the pot had cracked, the flower itself seemed to be intact, "I believe we may be able to save it yet."


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All good things...

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The calm blue glow of Connor's LED filled the interior of the car. You had your shoulder pressed into his arm, head resting on his shoulder. Before you, spread the entirety of the city- unfolding and bathing all that approached in an enticing warmth of artificial light. As you made your way deeper to the heart, you found your eyes slide closed; after days of unending, escalating turmoil, of uprising and the unsteady first steps of new societal reform, rest had finally seemed to welcome you.

 

______________________

 

Connor registered your touch with a forlorn sort of love. He had nearly lost you when his programming had been reset- nearly lost you again when Amanda had struggled to take control of his faculties on the platform. If he tried hard enough, he could still feel the cold metal of the gun heavy in his hand. But he had resisted.

 

He would always resist.

 

He dropped a hand from the steering wheel to wrap it comfortingly around the detective's. A smile warmed his face when he heard a faint sigh. Catching a fleeting glance in the rearview mirror, he took a moment to return his own contented gaze and reflect upon the events that had led him here. Since the moment of his deviant awakening, he had begun to grow- the rampancy of his newfound personhood had been left unchecked, and it had only been for the good. He was no longer tied down, nor the belonging of anyone or any entity. He was his own. No longer was he forced to report in to distant superiors like a domesticated child. No more would he be held under Amanda's- or Cyberlife's thumb. He was no longer a puppet- he'd cut his own strings long ago.

 

The world around him had changed to a similar degree, in just as startling a pace. The future of the city, the country, and the world had been irrevocably changed from Marcus' actions. And in many ways, from his own actions. Pervasive in the corner of his mind, lived an uneasy grip of fear. It would attempt to take hold of him when his thoughts drifted to how close he had come to failing at the Cyberlife tower. Had the RK900 unit been successful, the entirety of android life would have been snuffed out.

 

Connor knew people would remember how he had marched in, and entire army of androids behind him. He hoped they would record his actions favourably, and not colour it with a twisted angle of android uprising. The way the wind had whistled past his ears on that stage- the faint registration of snowflakes against his skin. He swore he could feel the burn of them even now.

 

But that was the past- and it was the future he must look to now.

 

The future of mankind, androids and the planet had been called into question. Could two closely matched species live in unity? Both sides had to recognize that it would be a short battle if they couldn't share.

 

 Connor's brow creased as he continued the train of thought. There had been somewhat volatile discussions of late on the subject of population control; yet another problem with no definite solution. Humans knew the only method of android replication was through automation; factories that could produce new, fully formed androids. But as of now there existed no legislation to govern the actual numbers. Androids had called for control over their own reproduction, and this made the humans... uneasy to say the least. The fear among them was that if left unchecked, android numbers could be allowed to grow exponentially. And while they had significantly less requirements for resources, there was still the matter of square inches. On a planet of finite size, how would two steadily inclining populations avoid the decimation of urban sprawl?

 

There had been murmurs of the creation of an interstellar ark- one that would carry half the population to a distant planet that they could claim all their own. Of course, reading between the lines, it was apparent the humans wished for the androids to become the pioneers. In many ways it did make sense- androids could survive in a vacuum, and did require much less in order to survive. However, they had no natural means of reproduction, which led the cyclical argument of what to do, back to the start.

 

The solution, perhaps, would be unity through collaboration. Humans were reliant on technology, and with that, had quickly become reliant on androids. In the same way, androids still required at least an initial assistance from humans before becoming self-reliant. And perhaps, no one side wanted to acknowledge it, they both needed each other. Both would be the better for it.

_________________________________

 

His hand squeezed yours firmly, prompting your eyes to draw open. Perhaps if they saw the connection the both of you shared, there could be hope still.

 

The drone of the wheels changed as you started across the suspension bridge. Faced with nearly infinite questions, and with no definite answers apparent, it was an unfortunate situation to be in. But then again, how many people were given such a rarified opportunity than to dictate the course of history?

 

No one had tread these waters yet- and in that way it was entirely up to him now; to write and to forge this new chapter of civilization; to set precedents which would allow sentient prosperity to continue on this blue marble we call home. He would need the support and unity of those he had met. Knowing that listening to the input of many would dictate the course of action. He was never more thankful for his ever-increasing network of friends he had come to know. Before any decision could come to pass, a good leader first had to listen- and listen well.

 

Connor set his jaw confidently- a charged glint in his deep eyes sparkled, matching your own. The sensation of the turn in his resolve was palpable, and he felt your grip on his hand tighten in affirmation.

 

He knew it would be anything but easy- and once more was he reminded of yet another human saying:

 

That nothing worth doing ever was.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand that’s a wrap on this one! Let me tell you it’s been a trip- and I am so immensely grateful for everyone who has left kudos or kind words behind! I am so infinitely thankful for all of you!
> 
>  
> 
> I’ve been in finals for a week now- which explains the untimely update schedule >_< BUT! I will be on vacation soon- which means updates, updates, updates!
> 
>  
> 
> ALSO if you left me req’s on my tumblr- THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN’T FILLED THEM YET!! I WILL BE GETTING STARTED ON THEM ASAP!!!!!
> 
>  
> 
> I promise they are coming!
> 
>  
> 
> As always, I love you all- and thanks again for following along with this fic!


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